


Life's Greatest Treasures Come from Within

by malum_animi



Series: Life's Treasures [1]
Category: The Hobbit (2012)
Genre: M/M, Mpreg, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-30
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-10 00:28:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 20,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malum_animi/pseuds/malum_animi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Over his life Bilbo Baggins has blamed many things on his Took blood. Running out his front door after a company of Dwarves is one of them. Falling in love with Thorin Oakenshield is another. So after almost a week of throwing up at the smell of food, Bilbo knows exactly what to blame.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the lovely sra_danvers, I hope you enjoy it!

Bilbo Baggins was many things. Kind, quiet, a good gardener, and he guessed he could add burglar to that list as well. He was also a Took, in blood if not by name, and while he had thought he’d successfully buried his Tookish side, it seemed it was still there. It had caused him to run out his front door to follow a company of dwarves, it was what made him fling himself at an Orc in order to protect Thorin. And now, as he lost his meal for the fourth day in a row, his Tookish blood was exactly what he blamed.

Not every Took male had the ability to bear children; it was something that skipped several generations, and even then, most of the time the hobbit in question never knew he had it. Bilbo certainly never knew he had it, being that he’d resigned himself to the life on a bachelor some time ago. Whenever Bilbo had imagined children it was with nice hobbit lass, certainly not a with Dwarven King who had contracted him to burgle a dragon only to fall into gold lust and banish him. Granted, Thorin had since lifted the banishment, and had all but begged Bilbo’s forgiveness.

But Bilbo wasn't too sure Thorin had completely forgiven him yet. Yes, he’d lifted the banishment, and he now understood what had prompted him to give the Arkenstone to Bard. But they had been together and Thorin, there at the end, had even asked Bilbo how he felt about the title of Consort once. And Bilbo had gone behind his back, had lied to him and sided with the enemy. Bilbo wasn't sure he could forgive someone for that, if he was in Thorin’s place.

He leaned against the cool stone wall of the chambers he’d been given--they were in the Royal wing, with Thorin’s chambers across the hall and Fili and Kili’s next to him, much too big for a simple Hobbit like himself--He was pregnant. He was pregnant with Thorin’s child. What was he going to do?

“Uncle Bilbo, are you in here?”

Bilbo sighed, he wasn't sure when Fili and Kili had started calling him Uncle; he hadn’t noticed it until they were in Laketown. He didn’t mind, he certainly considered the boy’s to be family, and the soft look on Thorin’s face when he’d heard had been worth it.

“Come in Kili, and thank you for knocking first.”

Kili slid down next to him “There are only so many times I can see Uncle Thorin naked without permanent damage.”

Bilbo chuckled and leaned against Kili “At least you've learned your lesson.”

“You got sick again didn’t you?”

Bilbo sighed, the boy’s would keep his secret, at least until he figured out what to do. “Go get your brother; I need to talk to you both.”

Kili frowned “Is everything alright?”

“Everything is fine, just go get Fili.”

Kili stood, staring at Bilbo hesitantly before he nodded and ran out of the room. Bilbo could hear him practically slam open the door to his and Fili’s room and chuckled. He suspected Fili wouldn’t be too happy to be drug about by his younger brother this early in the morning.

It wasn’t long until Kili was back, gripping Fili’s wrist and dragging his along behind him. “We’re here. Now talk.”

Kili was certainly his uncle’s nephew, Bilbo mused as he took in Kili’s crossed arms and frown. “Sit down you two. I’ll not have you both looming over me.”

Kili ducked his head in apology and the two of them slid down to sit on either side of him.

“Are you alright? Kili said you were sick again.” Fili asked. As far as Fili knew, they were the only ones Bilbo had told of his sickness, and that was more from them catching him than any actual telling on Bilbo’s part.

“How much do you two know about Hobbits beyond what I’ve told you?”

Fili and Kili looked at each other and Fili shrugged “Not much, we barely knew what a Hobbit was before you.”

Bilbo sighed; this was going to be hard. The boys weren’t stupid by any means, but his problem wasn’t exactly common.

“You remember when I told you about the Tooks? How they were different from other Hobbit clans?”

Kili nodded “One of them got with a fairy, and they’ve been odd ever since.” He said, summing up the story Bilbo had told them during their stay at Beorn’s.

“Yes, well, as you know, my mother was a Took, which makes me part Took….and rather odd.”

“Does your Tookness have to do with you getting sick?” Fili asked.

Bilbo nodded “That Took ancestor, he ran off with a male fairy, and well, when he came back he was with child. Some sort of fairy magic. The ability is rather rare and most Tooks never know if they have it.”

Fili frowned “Bilbo….are you…are you pregnant?”

Bilbo looked down “Yes.”

Kili looked between his brother and uncle “But why are you so sad, that’s a good thing isn’t it?”

“Oh Kili, it should be a very good thing. But your uncle and I are barely on speaking terms as it is and well…”

“You don’t trust uncle do you?” Fili asked.

“No, not fully, I’m not sure things will ever be the same between Thorin and I, so I don’t plan on telling him about this.”

Kili frowned “But…how are you going to keep it a secret from him? You can’t avoid uncle forever, not in his own Kingdom.”

Bilbo swallowed down all his doubts and uncertainties.  He was sure he was doing the right thing, he would miss Fili and Kili, would miss everyone, even Thorin, but after all that had gone wrong…no, he was certainly making the right choice.

“Kili, I don’t plan on staying in Erebor.”

The look Kili gave him nearly made him change his mind. If only to make that sad betrayed look go away. He had seen betrayal on too many of Durin’s line.

“But…you promised.”

And he had, when Kili and his brother had still been in the healers tents, Kili half dead from an attempted gutting. He had run his hands through Kili’s hair, had hushed his mumbling and promised to stay in Erebor. It had been the only thing to quiet Kili, to make him rest. Bilbo had meant it at the time, he truly had. But things were different now. Much different.

“I know I did, but Kili, Erebor isn’t my home, and I don’t think it ever can be now.”

Kili looked away and ran a hand through his hair before wrapping Bilbo into a hug and burying his face in his shoulder. “I’m going with you.” He mumbled “I’m not letting you go by yourself, and Gandalf is already gone.”

Don’t you have duties here? I won’t let you go if you’ll be shirking them.”

Fili, who had pressed himself against Bilbo’s back, answered for him “Kili doesn’t have as many responsibilities as I do, at least not yet. He can go with you, and I’ll stay here. I can keep Uncle from asking too many questions.”

“We’ll keep your secret for you Uncle Bilbo, we promise.” Kili muttered.

Bilbo smiled and ran his hand through Kili’s hair and leaned back against Fili. Yes, he would miss his boys most of all.

                


	2. Chapter 2

Bilbo had thought that telling Thorin about his plans would be the hardest part. But when he had gone to Thorin in his study, head down and wringing his hands, with Fili and Kili behind him, all Thorin had done was sigh and slump a little in his chair. 

"You're leaving aren't you?" 

Bilbo nodded "Yes, I...I need to go home. Had things been different I might have stayed, but..."

The  _but that changed when you threatened to kill me_ when unsaid, but Thorin heard it all the same. He looked away, clearing his throat "Indeed. I presume Kili is going to escort you back to the shire?" 

Bilbo nodded "Yes, I'll have him back as soon as I'm settled." Yavanna bless, a conversation with Thorin had never been so uncomfortable before. Even at the beginning of their journey, when Thorin all but hated him, he'd never been so uncomfortable around the dwarf. 

Thorin glanced at Kili, who glared back "Stay until the Caravan your mother is leading passes through. You can join up with them; I don't want you traveling back by yourself." 

Kili nodded, but said nothing. He and Fili had been distant with him since the news came that Thorin would live. He knew it was because of his treatment of Bilbo, his nephews considered him family, and they had never taken kindly to people who harmed their family. He didn't blame them, he hated himself too. 

"Fili, Kili, will you please wait outside, I'll be along in a few moments." Bilbo asked. He wanted to talk to Thorin alone.

Fili and Kili glanced at each other before Fili asked "Are you sure?" 

"Yes." 

He nodded "We'll be right outside the door." he dragged a resisting Kili along behind him. 

When the door clicked shut, Bilbo turned back to Thorin, who was staring at the door. "They don't trust me with you." 

"No, they don't." 

“I’m not sure I blame them for that.” Thorin sighed “take whatever you need to make the journey back, it’s the least I can do.”

Bilbo chewed on his lip nervously before crossing the room and stepping behind Thorin’s desk. He wasn’t sure his touch would be welcome but he wrapped his arms around Thorin’s neck anyway. Bilbo barely contained his flinch when he felt Thorin’s thick arms wrap around him, pulling him close to the dwarf.

“Bilbo…”

“I still love you Thorin, I don’t think I’ll ever stop.” He mumbled into Thorin’s neck. The arms around him tightened and for a second, he feared his words had been unwanted.

“And I you. Always.”

Bilbo pulled back with a shudder, this would be the last time he saw Thorin, and he placed his hands on Thorin’s face and allowed himself to look, to memorize the face he’d never see again. He hoped their child looked nothing like him, Bilbo didn’t think he’d be able to stand it.

“Goodbye Thorin.”

“Goodbye Burglar.”

When he joined Fili and Kili in the hall, he would have collapsed had the brothers not grabbed him. He buried his face in Kili’s chest, hands nearly tearing the fabric of his shirt he fisted it so tightly. He didn’t cry though, no matter how much he wanted to, he wasn’t going to cry. When he pulled back, his eyes were dry and he looked up at the brothers “I’m going to go say my goodbyes to the company. I’d like to leave in the morning if at all possible.”

Fili drew him into a tight hug, “Of course. We’ll get everything together; I imagine you’ll find most of the company in the kitchen. I was told that Bombur was cooking.”

 

 

Telling the Company wasn’t nearly as hard as telling Thorin. Most of them had had suspicion about his departure for a while.

Bofur hugged him tight, and once again wished him all the luck in the world, he would miss Bofur dearly, who had become nearest to a best friend he'd ever had. Ori sniffled and gave him a pair of fingerless gloves he'd been working on since the battle. Dwalin and Balin both clapped him on the shoulder--though he thought he heard Dwalin murmuring about giving Thorin a good beating when he saw him next. Bombur had sat him down and declared he wasn't going to let Bilbo leave the mountain until he'd had a good, hearty meal. 

The other dwarves cheered at that and when Fili and Kili joined them, they all sat and ate the small feast Bombur had prepared. It was quite like that first night in Bag End, except that Bilbo laughed along with them this time, and he might have even thrown some food for Bombur to catch. It was a very merry gathering indeed.

When they retired for the night, Bilbo, Fili, and Kili much earlier than the rest, the weight of all of it returned to Bilbo and he wished the brothers good night with a small, sad smile.

 

 

Much later, Kili was still awake, and he rolled over and poked at Fili until his brother grumbled and shoved at him. “What’s wrong Kili, I would like to get some sleep.”

“Do you think Uncle Bilbo will be alright in the Shire?”

Fili sighed and turned over, hitching the furs back over his shoulders—the heating system wouldn’t be working for some time “It’s his home Kili, why wouldn’t he be.”

“But he’ll be alone, he said himself that he didn’t have much family.”

Fili sighed and pulled Kili to him, twisting around until he was on his back and Kili was curled into his side, head resting on his chest. “You’re still planning on staying until he gives birth aren’t you?”

Kili nodded “Mother’s caravan should arrive a few months after.”

“Then he’ll be fine. We will visit him you know. I don’t think Uncle would be cruel enough to stop us.” Fill reached up and ran his hand through Kili’s hair. Always such a mess, Kili’s hair was as wild and Kili himself was. It was one of the many things Fili loved about his brother. He could see Kili drifting off to sleep and smiled “Go to sleep nadadith, we have an early morning.”

 

 

Morning arrived all too soon for Bilbo, who was woken by a sharp knock on his door. The door cracked open and Fili stuck his head in “We’re ready to leave whenever you are. Kili has the ponies by the Front Gate.”

Bilbo nodded and slipped out of the bed “I’ll be along shortly, thank you Fili.”

It didn’t take Bilbo long to get ready. He had packed his things the night before, so he slipped his clothes on, belted Sting to his waist and slipped his odd little ring into his waistcoat pocket. He looked around the room before he left; wanting to remember everything he could about it. Kili had told him it was the room meant for the King’s Consort while they were courting. It hurt Bilbo’s heart to know that Thorin had given him this room in hopes that they might repair their relationship. But what was done was done and with a final glance behind him, Bilbo pulled the heavy stone door shut.

It didn’t take him long to navigate through Erebor, and soon he was walking through the gates, where Kili held three ponies. It was just him, Fili, and Kili there, Bilbo had requested that, he had made his goodbyes and didn’t want to drag out a surely painful sendoff.

“Are you ready?” Kili asked as he handed Bilbo the reins to a sweet looking dappled mare.

Bilbo gave him a quick nod and climbed into the saddle—he didn’t think he’d ever get used to riding—waiting with a smile as Fili and Kili kissed in goodbye.

Then they were off, and Bilbo swore to himself that he wouldn’t look back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nadadith--little brother (or at least that's what I've seen in various stories please correct me if I'm wrong)


	3. Chapter 3

Thorin watched Bilbo and Kili leave from the balcony in his study. He watched them until they were gone from his sight, and then he watched some more. Part of him was screaming to go after them, to kneel at Bilbo's feet and beg and plead until the Hobbit came back to him. But the other, louder, rational part of him knew it wasn't his decision at all. There was nothing he could do to keep Bilbo in Erebor, and he knew it. And it was All. His. Fault. 

His desk was the first this to succumb to his rage. It was old and wooden, and didn't stand long under Thorin's assault; he grabbed it and flipped it over, no care at all for whatever was on it. The chair was next, flung against the stone wall. He had just wrapped his hand around Orcrist’s hilt when Fili appeared in front of him, prying the sword from his grip.

“Fili. Give me my sword.” He growled; he wasn’t in the mood to deal with his nephew right now.

“No. I’m not going to let you destroy everything in sight.” He sat Orcrist down behind him “You wouldn’t let me or Kili do such a thing.”

“Fili, my temper is at its end.  I’d like to take it out on things instead of people.”

“Why?”

Why? Thorin didn’t know his nephew could be so cruel “You know why Fili, don’t play with me.” He snorted “Or do you and your brother hate me too?”

Fili frowned “We don’t hate you Uncle, I’m not sure we ever could.”

“If you have any love for me Fili, you will leave me alone!” he roared, grabbing Fili by the shoulder and shoving his toward the door. He couldn't let Fili see him like this. 

"What did he say to you uncle? What did he say that has you like this?" Had Bilbo told Thorin? Fili couldn't think of anything else that would send his uncle into such a rage. But that couldn't be, Thorin would have done everything in his power to keep Bilbo in Erebor had he known. 

Thorin growled and turned away from Fili, slamming his fist into the wall next to him. He could feel the bones in his hand break with the impact, hot pain radiating up his arm. 

"Uncle!" Fili watched the blood drip down Thorin's fingers in surprise. "Uncle...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pushed. I'll leave you be." 

"Thank you Fili." 

Fili paused in the doorway "Do you want me to send Oin to your room...and some servants to clean this mess?" 

"The servants yes, I have I no need for Oin." 

Fili frowned "Your hand is broken uncle. You're bleeding." 

Thorin looked down and tried to flex his hand--which was indeed bleeding--and couldn't. Fili was right; at least three fingers were broken. "Very well. Send him to my room." 

When Fili was gone Thorin turned back to the room. He had well and truly destroyed it; the only things remaining either attached to the wall or made of stone. "Thorin you're nothing but a fool." 

Had he honestly thought he could keep Bilbo after all he had done? No, Bilbo was better off far away from him, all Thorin would do is hurt him. 

_“I still love you Thorin, I don’t think I’ll ever stop."_

"You are cruel Bilbo; your hate would have hurt me less." At least he deserved hatred. To know that Bilbo still loved him was a blow to Thorin he didn't think he'd ever recover from. He wished Azog's mace had done its job and ended his life; death would have been a kinder fate. 

 

They met up with an Elven patrol just outside Mirkwood. Fili had sent a raven before they left requested an escort through the forest and they were to spend the night inside the palace before venture through. 

Tauriel gave them a small smile and she led her horse to them "I must say I am surprised. Most of us believed you would remain in the mountain Master Baggins." 

Bilbo shrugged "The Shire is my home." 

Tauriel shared a look with Kili "Of course. Well, you have quarters waiting for you both and I am sure a nights rest will do you good." 

With the elven patrol leading the way, it didn't take long until they were at the palace and Tauriel was leading them through the twisting halls. "My King would have met with you, but he and Prince Legolas are attending other pressing matters, though they both send their well wishes." 

Kili nodded "Please send our thanks." He liked Legolas; the elf had a sense of humor that others of his kind were sorely lacking in Kili's opinion. And he was obviously an expert with the bow; he had offered to give Kili some lessons the next time that they met. 

Tauriel left them outside their rooms, pulling Kili aside before she left "The rooms connect, but you're brother's letter led me to believe it might not be best for Bilbo to be left alone. Is he alright?" 

Kili sighed "I don't wish to betray his trust Tauriel."

"I know he's pregnant Kili, I can tell, any elf that sees him will be able to tell. It is your uncle's isn't it?" 

"Yes, it is. Uncle does not know and Bilbo wants to keep it that way. They didn't part on good terms." 

"He secret is safe here. But we all believed they were courting." 

"They were, and I won't say any more than that." 

Tauriel smiled "You are a good nephew Kili, Bilbo is lucky to have you with him." 

Kili laughed "Bilbo has a way of making everyone love him. Goodnight Tauriel." 

"Goodnight Kili." 

Bilbo was curled up on the bed when Kili came in. He wasn't crying, but he had his arms wrapped around his stomach and his eyes squeezed shut. "Uncle Bilbo?" 

"I'll be alright Kili." 

Kili frowned and kneeled by their bags, pulling something free. "I brought this for you...if you don't want it I'd understand." he unfolded the coat and laid it over Bilbo like a blanket. It had been washed since the battle, fur scrubbed clean of Thorin's--and Orc and goblin--blood. 

Bilbo startled when the familiar weight settled over him, and his buried his nose it the soft, well-worn fur. "Thorin's coat...Kili did you steal this?" 

"Fili did actually. Thorin has a whole kingdom now; he can afford to have a new one made. I thought it might comfort you some." 

Bilbo wrapped the coat around him tighter and sat up, nose still buried in the fur. "Thank you Kili. This...this means a lot to me." 

Kili jumped onto the bed--damn elfish beds were too damn high--and cuddled into Bilbo's side, pulling him into a hug. "You're our Uncle Bilbo; we'd do anything for you. Including stealing from Thorin." he grinned "It's not like it's the first time, who do you think stole his hair beads during the journey?" 

"That was you and Fili?" Bilbo remembered Thorin raging around camp, and now that he thought about it, Fili and Kili had been oddly absent during that particular scene. 

"Of course it was! Did you think anyone else would have the balls to mess with Thorin while he slept?" Kili laughed. 

Bilbo shook his head "One day he's going to catch you and skin the two of you alive." 

"He'd have to get through Mother first, that is if he survives her finding out about our injuries." 

"She'll be angry then?"

Kili snorted "Furious. She made uncle promise that we would come back in reasonably good shape. Somehow I don't think almost dying will fall under that. She'll take it out on his hide." 

Yes, Bilbo could imagine that and deep, thick scar that ran across Kili's stomach and the mess that was Fili's back would make any mother mad. "Is she older than Thorin then?" He couldn't imagine Thorin letting a younger sibling boss him about.

Kili shook his head "Mother is twelve years younger than uncle, her name is Dis. Balin and Dwalin like to say that she's the brains behind the throne. It's probably true too." 

Bilbo smiled, Kili sounded so proud as he talked about his mother. "She must be a fierce woman indeed, to put up with the likes of you three."

 "Oh she is! I’ve never seen such a look of terror on uncle and Dwalin's faces the time they lost me and Fili in the woods. We found our way back home before they did, and mother went after them with her axe!" Kili laughed. 

Bilbo chuckled and settled against Kili's side as he regaled Bilbo with tale after tale about Dis. And when Kili looked down some time later he smiled when he realized Bilbo was fast asleep. Good, he was glad his plan to distract Bilbo enough that he would sleep had worked. With a yawn, Kili carefully slid down the bed and cuddled into Bilbo before drifting off to sleep. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So should I warn for heartbreak and angst? This will probably get worse before it gets better!


	4. Chapter 4

Fili sighed as he helped the servants clean up Thorin's study. Whatever Thorin had been working on had nearly been ruined when he had flipped the desk over, ink going everywhere. Fili could barely make out what had been written, but it was clear it wasn't one of the many official letters and paperwork his uncle had been working through while he healed. This was personal, written in his uncle's hand, and while Fili knew he shouldn't be reading it, it was addressed to Dis, and Fili wanted to know what Thorin was writing his mother about. 

 

_Dis,_

_The boys have healed well, although neither enjoy being stuck in their chambers, I can hear Kili complaining through the walls at times, only Mahal knows how Fili puts up with him. Oin has allowed me to return to work, although he doubts I'll make it through another battle alive. But I believe I have had enough of war._

_You were right, in your previous letter, I was leaving something out. I have fallen in love sister, with the hobbit Gandalf bade us to hire. His name is Bilbo and he is remarkable. I hurt him greatly while under the gold lust, and while he claims to have forgiven me, I know he isn't being entirely truthful._

_I will do everything in my power to earn his forgiveness; I fear if I do not, he will not stay in Erebor long. I cannot let that happen. I will prove myself worthy of his love._

_I look forward to seeing you again my dear sister, and I know the boys miss you as well._

_  
Thorin_

 

Fili sighed, no wonder Thorin had gone off like that. He wondered if Bilbo might have stayed had he known that Thorin was planning on trying to win him back. His uncle was a great dwarf, but he could be denser than Kili at times. Why hadn't he just told Bilbo what he was planning? Maybe, knowing that, Bilbo would have told Thorin about the child. Maybe all this could have been avoided. 

Fili shook his head and laid the letter on top of the papers that had been collected from the floor. It was too late now, Bilbo was gone, and Thorin had obviously given up hope. There was nothing that could be changed. As Gandalf was fond of saying, damn the stubbornness of dwarves. 

 

Oin had just left Thorin with a diagnosis of four broken fingers, a sprained wrist and the order of no more punching stone walls, when Dwalin all but stormed into his room. 

"Is there something wrong?" Thorin asked, but knew nothing was wrong, he could tell by the contained fury in Dwalin that this had everything to do with Bilbo. 

"Yer a fool Thorin. I've a mind to thrash ye good." 

Thorin glared at his old friend "Careful how you speak to me Dwalin." 

Dwalin snorted "Ye may be king, but that's no explanation for Bilbo." 

"He left; there was nothing I could do to stop that." 

"That's a lie and ye know it. Why didn't ye  _speak_ with him Thorin? I know ye had plans!" 

"He wanted to leave Dwalin, what did you want me to do, forbid it of him?" 

"If ye had talked to him--" 

"And told him what? That I loved him? That I wanted to make him my Consort? He already knew those things and he still chose to leave. Erebor was never going to be home for him Dwalin." 

Dwalin sighed "I pity ye, ye know." At Thorin's scowl he explained "Ye both are at fault here, but ye could have stopped this if ye had opened yer mouth and said somethin'!" 

Thorin huffed "I don't think you've ever urged me to talk before."

Dwalin chuckled and sat down beside him "No, I was usually tellin' ye to shut yer mouth before ye got us killed." He nudged Thorin "Kili didn't get it from Dis." 

Thorin snorted "He got it from Frerin, not me, and you had as much of a hand in raising him as I did."

"Hellions, the lot of us." He sighed and clapped Thorin on the shoulder "Things'll work out, ye'll see." he glanced down and frowned "What did ye do to yer hand?" 

Thorin cleared his throat "I may have destroyed my study."

Dwalin's loud laughter filled the room "Such kingly behavior." 

"Shut up." 

 

 

When Bilbo woke, Kili was wrapped around him so tightly that he was frankly surprised he was able to breathe. The boy had his arms wrapped around Bilbo's chest and one of his legs was flung over both of his. Bilbo smiled and brought a hand up to smooth the hair out of Kili's face. 

"Mmm, Fili. Don't wanna wake up." 

"I'm not Fili, Kili, and you need to wake up." 

Kili frowned and buried his face in Bilbo's shoulder "Uncle Bilbo. No." 

Bilbo sighed and grabbed a small section of hair and gave it a sharp jerk. Kili whined and opened one eye to glare up at him "Mean." 

"Up." 

Kili groaned and untangled himself from Bilbo, laying on his back and stretching out. "Do we have to get up? The shire isn't going anywhere." 

Bilbo always forgot just how young Kili was until someone who wasn't Thorin tried to wake him up. He would turn into quite a child if he hadn't slept as long as he'd wanted. 

"The Shire may not be, but I am. So if you intend to go with me, you'd best get yourself up." 

Kili sighed and rolled off the bed, pouting at Bilbo, who just rolled his eyes. "Mean." 

Bilbo slid off the bed after him, folding Thorin's coat and placing it on the end of the bed. "I'm going to go see if I can find some breakfast."

"Are you feeling better then?" 

Bilbo sighed "Won't know until I eat now will I?" 

Once outside, it didn't take him long until he found Tauriel, who had apparently, been coming to wake them.

"How are you feeling today Master Baggins?" She asked him, eyes glancing down at his stomach. 

"Did Kili tell you?" 

Tauriel smiled "No, we elves can tell things like that, you have a glow of new life about you. Master Kili merely told me that you hadn't been feeling well." 

Bilbo rubbed his stomach "No, I haven't been able to keep much down lately." 

"Is that normal for a Hobbit pregnancy? We elves don't get sickness like humans and dwarves." 

Bilbo shook his head "Not really, only with the most difficult of pregnancies: twins or triplets. I'm assuming it's because the babe's part dwarf." 

Bilbo looked down at his stomach, he had never really thought about the fact that his child would be part dwarf. How different would his pregnancy be? Gloin had told him once, when Bilbo had asked why he only had one child, that Dwarven pregnancies were hard on the woman, and many of them didn't make it to full term. If a couple had another they were often years or even decades apart. The fact Fili and Kili were only five years apart was considered quite a blessing. 

Hobbit pregnancies, from what Bilbo had seen, were relatively easy. They carried for nine months, and didn't get overly large either. They simple ate more and did less. 

"I suppose I'll have to write to Oin about it, I doubt Kili knows much." Oin would keep his secret, he never told anything to anyone about his patients unless he had to. 

Tauriel shrugged "We certainly wouldn't know. But in the meantime, we do have some things that will help with the sickness. I'll have a healer bring them to you after breakfast. 

"Thank you Tauriel, I appreciate it." 

"It's no trouble, and I do believe we owe it to you." 

Ah yes. After the battle Bilbo had found and half dragged Legolas back to the Elf camp, where Thranduil was starting to threaten people if they didn't find his son. The Prince had a broken ankle that Bilbo had crudely splinted before he'd brought him back. Legolas had hugged him and promised he wouldn't forget Bilbo's help, no matter how small it was. 

Bilbo blushed "Well, I don't know about that but anyway--breakfast?" 

Tauriel gave a soft laugh at his attempt to change the subject but nodded "Just down the end of the hall and to the right. I'd take you there, but I need to speak with Kili. Do you know if he is decent?" 

Bilbo rolled his eyes "I wouldn't be surprised if he fell back asleep, but he should be, yes." 

 

Kili was indeed dressed when Tauriel knocked on the door before striding in. "What if I had been naked?" he joked.

Tauriel rolled her eyes "Then I would have left and you would not have gotten the letter your brother sent during the night." 

Kili took the envelope from her "No sense of humor at all." and ripped it open. 

 

_Kili_

_Found letter from uncle to Mother, he was going to try and "prove his worth" to Bilbo. I found him destroying his study. He broke his hand. Should we tell Bilbo? It might change his mind._

_Fili_

 

 _  
_Fuck.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bilbo has Kili, and Thorin has Dwalin.
> 
> Also, Dwalin's dialogue killed me. Does it sound like he has an accent? I hope it does :/


	5. Chapter 5

Kili didn't know what to do. He wanted his uncle to be happy, Kili could count on both hands with fingers to spare the number of times he'd seen true happiness on Thorin's face. Kili wanted Thorin to feel what he felt when he was with Fili. Content, happy and loved. He desperately wanted that for his uncle. But on the other hand, he also wanted Bilbo to be happy. And Kili's adopted uncle hadn't been happy since Smaug was slain. Kili could already see a difference in Bilbo since they'd left Erebor, like a weight had been lifted off the Hobbit's shoulders. But there was darkness in his eyes; like that weight was just waiting to settle over Bilbo again. 

Tauriel had long since left the room, leaving Kili to pace back and forth. Was there nothing he could do to ensure both Thorin  _and_ Bilbo's happiness? 

He stopped and mulled over what he already knew. 

 

Bilbo wasn't happy in Erebor because he didn't feel he could trust Thorin anymore.

And he didn't think the news of Bilbo's pregnancy would be well received. 

 

Thorin was well...devastated that Bilbo had left, and had been planning on trying to win him back. 

 

Thorin would do anything for Bilbo. 

 

He stopped and grinned, that was it! Thorin would do  _anything_ for Bilbo; it just had to be big enough that Bilbo would know he was completely sincere! 

Kili ran to the desk and flipped Fili's letter over, scribbling on the back of it. He had a plan. 

 

Once Bilbo had come back to the room with food and enough concoctions for his sickness for a small army, and Kili had sent his letter off to Fili (very carefully lying his ass off when Bilbo asked about it) it didn't take long before the two of them were being escorted out of the palace by Tauriel in order to meet up with another patrol that would lead them out of Mirkwood. 

They had made the decision not to stop at Beorn’s, it was late fall, and Kili wanted to cross the mountains before any winter weather might set in. It would take them nearly two weeks to get from Mirkwood to the mountain pass at the pace they were going. Bilbo had mentioned once about picking up the pace a little but Kili had refused to hear it. He knew little about Dwarven pregnancies and nothing about Hobbit ones and he wasn't going to take any risks with Bilbo's health. 

Although they wouldn't be stopping at Beorn's, the shape shifter had sent them ponies to use and the two had been waiting patiently on the other side of Mirkwood for them. They were hardy things, and would be able to cross the Misty Mountains with no problems. 

They rode for several hours before Kili decided it was time to make camp. He could see the Misty Mountains looming in the distance, but the small clearing they were in had been deemed reasonably safe. 

"Kili, what do you know about Dwarven pregnancies?" Bilbo asked as he stood next to the fire, waiting for the stew to finish cooking. 

Kili frowned "Just general stuff really, dwarves carry for six months, and they are very hard and very bloody. Sometimes a woman will give birth early because of the stress, but the child usually doesn't make it." Kili himself had been born early, nearly two months. He knew it was nothing short of a miracle that he'd survived at all, nevertheless that his mind had been intact as well. Half the time he thought it was why Fili was so protective of him. 

"Only six months!?" Oh dear, Bilbo truly hoped this child would be more Hobbit than dwarf in that case. At Kili's look of confusion he explained "Hobbit's carry for nine, sometimes ten months." 

"Oh. That could be a problem." His plan wouldn't work if Bilbo hadn't given birth after six months; it all depended on the child actually being present. 

"Yes it could be! A hobbit is nowhere near ready to give birth at six months, never mind a male hobbit!" Oh that wouldn't be good at all! Bilbo had heard stories of Hobbit's who'd gone into labor before it was time. They couldn't deliver naturally of course, and the babes had to be cut from them. He pressed a hand over his stomach and shivered. No, that wouldn’t be good at all. 

"Kili...I think I should tell you about Hobbit pregnancies. Just in case." He pulled the pot of stew off the fire and set it aside, he doubted either of them would want to eat during this conversation. 

He sat down next to Kili with a sigh "Hobbit's are different Kili, much different apparently. If a Hobbit goes into labor before the nine months are up, she can't give birth, her body won't allow it. If that happens, the babe must be cut from her." The faint look of horror on Kili's face almost made him stop. "If that happens to me, you'll have to cut for the babe Kili. Or we'll both die." 

Kili gaped, "Me? Don't you hobbit's have healers to do that?" Oh Mahal, they should never have let Bilbo leave Erebor!

Bilbo shook his head "We do, but I'm not married Kili, and I'm a male. They won't see to me." he sighed "Hobbiton doesn't look kindly on those who have children out of wedlock, it's always been that way." 

"I don't...uncle...I don't know if I can do that to you." The thought alone made him sick.

"You may not have a choice." 

The rest of the evening passed in silence, and Bilbo almost felt bad for destroying Kili's good mood. But he needed to know, this wasn't something to be taken lightly. And when he walked past Kili--who had made himself comfortable for Watch-- on his way to his bedroll, he laid a hand on his head, smoothing back his hair in apology. “Goodnight Kili." 

Kili looked up with a small smile "Goodnight uncle." 

 

Kili and Bilbo were breaking down camp when Fili received Kili's note and he grinned as he read it. Many people thought Kili was dim and naive, or that he lacked the knowledge needed for one of his station. But Fili knew differently. Kili was the best tactician he knew when it came to something he truly cared about. Sure, he may not be good with politics or negotiation, but that was more Fili's area anyway. There was a reason their pranks often went off without a problem and that they were rarely caught. Kili did the planning, and Fili did the talking. 

"What are you grinning about?" 

Fili--who had thought he was alone in the library--startled and looked up, finding Thorin watching him suspiciously. Fili waved the letter that was in his hand "Kili's plotting." 

Thorin sighed "Of course. Miles away from each other and you two can still breed trouble. Do I even want to know what you two are planning?" 

Fili grinned "Probably not." 

Thorin shook his head in exasperation and sat across from Fili. "You'll make a good King one day Fili. And Kili a good consort." 

Fili's head shot up in shock and Thorin chuckled "Do you think I'm blind nephew? The two of you are meant to be together." 

"But we can't get married. He  _can't_ be my consort." Relationships like theirs might not be frowned on like it was in other Kingdoms, but the laws still didn't allow for siblings to marry. It was some sort of loophole, Dis had explained to him once, one that had never been fixed. The laws of marriage didn't mention siblings, therefore they couldn't get married. 

"Fili, I'm King, I can change the laws. If the two of you wish to marry, I will marry you." It wasn't something Thorin had thought about before, but now, knowing how easily one's beloved could slip away...he'd do all he could to ensure his nephews happiness with each other. Even changing centuries old laws. 

"Why? You've never said much before about Kili and I, so why now."

Thorin looked away "I want you two to have what I'll never get. Fili...I consider you boys to be my sons, I may not show it, but all I've ever wanted was your happiness."

Fili was out of his chair and had his arms wrapped around Thorin's neck before Thorin knew what hit him. Fili wasn't usually the type to show affection like that, but right now, he felt the hug was more than justified.

And as Thorin's tentatively hugged him back, Fili knew that they had to make Kili's plan work. So maybe, just maybe, there could be two weddings in their future.  

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kili's smarter than he lets on, he's also a sneaky, devious, little shit. And aww uncle-nephew bonding!
> 
> I'm probably not going to update again until next week, I have two massive finals I have to study for :( but after those I'll be a free woman and I'll be devoting my time to this!


	6. Chapter 6

It took Kili and Bilbo two days to enter the Misty Mountains. They knew once they entered the mountains there would be little or no rest for them or the ponies. At least, Kili remarked, the threat of running into any Goblins or Orcs was significantly lower now that their horde had nearly been decimated during the Battle of Five Armies. Bilbo just hoped they didn't run into any more Stone Giants. Dangling from a cliff once in his life was more than enough. 

Kili had slowed their pace for more than that though. He was worried about Bilbo. Kili knew Bilbo was trying to hide it from him, but he knew the elvish tonics weren't working. Bilbo threw up almost every meal he ate, and was only able to keep down the thin watered down broth Kili insisted he eat. Kili also knew Bilbo was already showing, a small bump, but it meant that Bilbo was at least three months along. Kili was sure that the pregnancy was going to be dwarvish, if Bilbo's accounts of Hobbit pregnancies were anything to go on. 

Kili prayed to Mahal that Bilbo wouldn't go into labor until they reached Hobbiton. Where Kili would make sure a Healer would attend to Bilbo, even if they had to do it with an arrow at their back. 

The first three days in the mountains were uneventful. It was cold and snowy, and Kili and Bilbo huddled up together at night, Bilbo curling into Kili to get whatever restless sleep he could while Kili kept watch. 

They were attacked on the fourth day. 

A small group of goblins descended on them from seemingly out of nowhere late that afternoon. Kili pushed Bilbo behind him, drawing his sword and cursing the fact that there was no way for him to use his bow. He only hoped that his skills with the sword would be enough. 

Three of the things attacked Kili at once, and he cursed, blocking two of the serrated blades with his sword. Another tried to climb up his back and Kili jerked backwards, slamming himself and the goblin into the rock wall beside him. It shrieked and dropped off his back, only to go for his legs. Kili stumbled, but twisted himself enough that his sword impaled the goblin in front of him. 

"Kili!" 

Bilbo's cry made him pause--and he could see another goblin had trapped Bilbo against the rock and the hobbit was shakily defending himself with Sting and Kili wasn't going to be able to get to him--long enough that he didn't see the dull flash of metal in the hand of the thing attached to his leg until he felt the searing pain. He brought his sword around and knocked the goblin off of him, beheading it quickly. 

There were two goblins in front of Bilbo now and Kili charged toward them, taking down one and turning to face the other. But Bilbo had gotten there first. He had skewered the goblin on Sting when it had turned toward Kili. Bilbo let go of the sword--that was still imbedded in the goblin's side--and rushed to Kili, who was panting and swaying in place, blood soaking through his tunic and undershirt. 

"You're hurt!" 

Kili glanced down and pressed his hand to his side, hissing in pain. "Oh."

Bilbo led him over to their packs and sat him down. "Can you get your shirts off?" 

Kili swallowed and nodded before swiftly changing his mind when a wave of pain hit him when he started to lift them up. "Uh...maybe not." 

Bilbo bit his lip and carefully peeled up Kili's bloodstained shirts, taking in the gash that started at his bellybutton and curved down toward his hip. It was jagged and ripped, and leaking a little too much blood for Bilbo's comfort. 

"...Kili, we don't have the supplies to mend this." All he would be able to do is wash it, bind it, and pray the blade hadn't been poisoned. 

Kili grimaced "I know. Just...just do what you can. I'll be fine." 

Bilbo sighed and reached for his pack, digging out the small kit Oin had insisted they bring with them. 

Curse the mountains and all they had in them. 

 

Kili knew the blade had been poisoned. It had to have been. Nothing else would explain the fire in his side. If it wasn't poison, it was a nasty infection, and Kili knew that one was sometimes as bad as the other. He kept it to himself though; he wasn't going to give Bilbo even more to worry about. But they did start riding faster; they made camp later, and rose earlier. Kili knew it wasn't good for Bilbo; the hobbit was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. But he also knew if they didn't get through the mountains before the wound overcame Kili, they wouldn't get out at all. 

He was starting to list sideways in the saddle when he realized they were finally out of the mountains. He slowly straightened up, twisting around as much as he could to look back at Bilbo. 

"Bilbo! We're in the foothills now!" 

Bilbo--who had gained the ability to sleep in his saddle--woke with a start and rode up beside Kili "We'll be to Rivendell soon won't we?" 

"By nightfall if we ride fast and don't stop." 

When Bilbo nodded and fell back some, Kili lifted up his tunic and peeled away the edge of the bandage. It was red and swollen, sluggishly leaking blood and what Kili was sure was pus. And there were black veins spidering out from it. Poison  _and_ infection. Kili had noticed them a day after the attack, and had kept Bilbo from seeing it out of sheer luck and lies about not wanting to upset him (which were actually true in that aspect). 

"Do you think you can make it in one day?" 

Kili looked over his shoulder and frowned "Do you?" 

Bilbo flushed and laid a hand on his stomach--that he swore was bigger every day--and nodded "I'll be fine." 

Kili looked back and patted his pony on the neck. He still hadn't gotten use to Beorn's animals, and he always felt a little stupid talking to the ponies "Do you know the path to Rivendell?" 

The pony snorted and flung its head up. Kili was going to take that as a yes. "Take us there. As fast as you can." 

His pony neighed and took off, making Kili grunt in pain as he was jostled in the saddle. He glanced behind briefly to make sure Bilbo's pony was keeping up before turning back and firmly ignoring the hot, sharp pain in his side. 

 

The sun had just set when the ponies rode into Rivendell. As if they had been told of their approach, Lord Elrond and his guard appeared at the top of the stairs as the ponies came to a halt just inside the city. Bilbo carefully slid down from his pony and ran to Kili, who was nearly unconscious in his saddle. 

"Master Baggins! We received a letter from Prince Fili that you and his brother would be coming here." Lord Elrond said, striding up to them and lifting Kili out of the saddle. The fact that Kili didn't protest at the treatment was something that worried Bilbo greatly. 

"We were attacked in the mountains. It's a nasty gash, but he hasn't let me see to it." 

"Come. I shall see to you both personally." 

Bilbo hurried along behind Elrond, almost running at times to keep up with the Elf's long strides. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine." 

"Now that, Master Baggins isn't true and you know it." Elrond laid Kili down on a bed, and another elf brought in a bowl of water and clean linens. "But in any case, Prince Kili is in much worse condition than you." 

They stripped the filthy, bloodstained clothes off Kili and Bilbo felt nauseous when Elrond gently peeled the bloody bandages away from Kili's side. The entirety of his side was red and swollen with infection, and Bilbo wasn't sure if the black discoloring was poison or if Kili's flesh had begun to die. 

"This is a bad infection, and there seems to be some poison in his system as well." Elrond dipped one the linens in the water and pressed it to Kili's side, drawing a pained whimper from him "Do you know if his organs were damaged before?" 

Bilbo shook his head "Thranduil's healers said the wound wasn't deep enough to reach his organs. Only barely though, he was extremely lucky." 

"I cannot tell at this point if the infection is from the blade or if his intestines have been pierced. Once the wound is cleaned properly all we can do is wait to see if any other symptoms develop." 

Bilbo sighed and curled up in a soft armchair across from the bed, watching Elrond as he tended to Kili. It wasn't long before his sight blurred and he drifted off to sleep. 

 

When Bilbo woke he was lying in a large, soft bed, cool sheets pulled up over him. He stretched his tired and sore body and sat up with a yawn. He looked around, seeing Kili lying in another bed next to him. The young dwarf looked even smaller in the huge elvish bed, and his skin was sickly pale but for the dark circles under his eyes. There were fresh bandages around his middle, and Bilbo sighed in relief that there was no sign of blood.

"It seems Prince Kili inherited all the stubbornness his line is known for." 

Bilbo startled and whipped around to see Elrond standing in the doorway "Is he going to be alright then? Bilbo didn't know what he would do if something happened to Kili. He loved the boy dearly, not to mention Fili and Thorin would likely hunt him down. 

"The poison has been flushed from his system and he has shown no signs anything worse than a nasty infection. Given some rest, I'm confident he'll recover." 

Bilbo slumped against the pillows in relief "Oh thank goodness!" 

"Now as for you Master Hobbit, I have been led to believe that the child you carry is Thorin Oakenshield's."

Bilbo flushed and looked down at his hands "That's...that's true yes." 

Elrond watched him for a moment before sitting on the edge of the bed "Is there a reason you are running from him? Unless it has changed, Dwarves value children above all else." 

"None that I wish to speak about right now." Bilbo couldn't get into that right now; he was too tired for such things. 

"Very well. This will not be an easy pregnancy for you, you realize that?" 

Bilbo laid a hand on his belly, rubbing softly "So I'm finding out." 

Elrond reached out "Will you permit me to look? I will be able to tell if anything is amiss." 

Bilbo considered it, he knew Lord Elrond was known across Middle-Earth for his healing ability "Yes...ah, yes." 

Elrond laid his hand across his stomach and stared. To Bilbo it looked like the Elf wasn't looking at him, but through him. 

"You are three, almost four months along correct?" 

Bilbo nodded shakily. Was his child alright? The abnormal growth of his stomach worried him. At four months along, a hobbit was barely showing, yet Bilbo looked like he was well into his six month now. It scared him; such rapid development couldn't be good.

"The child is fine. I believe it will take after its father in life." Elrond sat back. "I know Hobbit pregnancies are much like Human and Elves. Would you like me to explain some? I can't imagine Prince Kili would know much." 

"Yes, please. It would ease my nerves quite a bit." Bilbo smiled gratefully, leaning back against the pillows. 

"I'd imagine so. Dwarves develop quickly, and they are such a hardy folk that unless one knows what to look for one might never know a dwarf was pregnant till the child appears. It's true that it's very difficult for the women because of this, their bodies have to rush to catch up." Elrond sighed "Because of this, I would not recommend a Hobbit carry a Dwarf child. But you are healthier than the few others I have seen." 

"You said the child will be fine, but what of me?" 

"As I said, this will be hard on you, and I expect that when you do give birth, you will lose a lot of blood. You could very well die if you're not properly looked after." Elrond reached out and placed a comforting hand on Bilbo's shoulder "You are welcome to stay in Rivendell until the child is born." 

Bilbo shuddered but shook his head "I appreciate the offer Lord Elrond, but I need to go home." 

Elrond nodded and stood "The choice is yours. But rest now, and perhaps we can discuss this more when you are both well." 

Once Elrond had left, Bilbo curled up under the sheets, watching Kili as he slept. The idea of staying in Rivendell was tempting, but it wasn't home, and Bilbo wanted his child to be born in the Shire, where it was safe. 

But for now, Bilbo thought with a sleepy sigh, it would be nice to indulge in the hospitality of the Elves. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fight scenes are not my cup of tea. 
> 
> I love having a nurse for a mom. She tells me all sorts of nasty diseases one can get. But I decided not to torture Kili too badly with them. 
> 
> (btw, does anyone know how long it took the Company to get to Erebor from the Shire? I'm pretty much making time and distance up here...)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of the banner I made? I'm quite proud of it myself.

 

 

* * *

 

Fili was pacing. Kili and Bilbo should have been in Rivendell three days ago. He should have received a letter by now. He cursed and ran a hand through his hair, something was wrong, he just knew it. With a sigh he sat down on the bed, he knew he was being irrational, Kili could take care of himself perfectly fine, and Bilbo wasn't exactly helpless either. But Fili had come so close to losing Kili before. Fili could remember the battle perfectly, despite the head wound that had clouded some of his earlier memories. He remembered Thorin going down, Azog's mace seemingly crushing his chest. There had been too many Orcs between him and his uncle, but Kili had been ahead of him, had seen Thorin go down too. He'd rushed toward Thorin, his last arrows imbedding in Azog's back. 

But Azog hadn't fallen; he'd turned toward Kili, swinging his mace at him. Kili had ducked the killing blow, only to run into the jagged, metal thing attached to Azog's other arm. The Orc had laughed, dropping his mace to lift Kili up. He ripped the thing out of Kili's gut and threw him away. Kili had landed, his head cracking against the hard ground and he hadn't gotten back up. 

In the end it had been Fili who had killed Azog, driven mad with rage, he'd rushed the Orc, apparently taking him by surprise. It's the only thing that he doesn't remember clearly. He doesn't remember how he took Azog's head only that he kicked it aside in his rush to get to Kili. 

He stumbled after them as dwarves he didn't know carried him to the Healer's tent where Thorin already was. He felt tears cutting through the dirt and blood on his face when they told him there was a good change both Kili and Thorin would die. 

No. He couldn't lose Kili. 

"Sire?" Fili looked up to see one of the servant girls that had been assigned to him and Kili. He thought her name was Kirya. "A raven came. There was a message to you from Prince Kili." 

Fili was up in a flash and snatched a paper from the girl's hand, causing her to squeak and step back. He shook himself and gave her a smile "I apologize for startling you. Thank you for bringing me this." 

The girl blushed and curtsied before all but running from the room. 

 

_Fili_

_We've been in Rivendell for three days now. I'm sorry I didn't write sooner, we were attacked in the mountains. I won't lie to you, I was hurt, but don't worry! Lord Elrond healed me and I'll be fine. You'll still worry though won't you, because that's what you do. Bilbo is, well, it's certainly a dwarf pregnancy. But it's taking a toll on him. I'm worried about him._

_Lord Elrond offered to let us stay here until Bilbo gives birth but our uncle won't have it. He insisted on going on to Hobbiton. We leave in a weeks’ time. If you tell Thorin after you get this, by the time he is able to leave we'll be long gone from Rivendell._

_I hope he won't be too mad at us._

_I miss you._

_Kili_

_  
_Dammit, he knew something was wrong. But if Kili said he was fine, then Fili would have to trust him. After all, there wasn't much he could do with Kili in Rivendell and him in Erebor. Actually, it was better that Kili wasn't here; Thorin was going to kill him when Fili told him.

"Fili?" 

Fili looked up, well; at least he would have to go looking for his uncle. "You've gained a disturbing habit of sneaking up on me you know." 

Thorin snorted "Perhaps you're just out of practice." he chuckled at Fili's weak glare "I was told you have received a letter from Kili."

Fili froze "Ah, yes...they're in Rivendell." Fuck. How did one do this? How does one admit they helped their uncle's pregnant lover run away from them? 

"They made it through the mountains safely then." 

"Uh, mostly, Kili say's they were attacked. He was injured but apparently Lord Elrond had healed him." 

Thorin frowned "And Bilbo?" 

He was going to die. Thorin was going to kill him and Kili would be heir and Erebor would be doomed "About Bilbo...we may have...kept something from you. About why he left." 

Thorin narrowed his eyes "You lied to me?"

"Only because Bilbo asked us to keep it a secret! He didn't want anyone to know." 

"But especially me." Thorin sighed and shook his head "Tell me." 

"Bilbo is different from the other Hobbits...he can, well...hecangetpregnant." 

Thorin stared at him for a long moment "Pregnant."

Fili nodded "It's an uh, Took thing apparently." 

"Bilbo is pregnant. With my child." 

Thorin's voice sounded dead and Fili hated himself a little more for helping put it there. "He was afraid that you wouldn't want it. That you hadn't truly forgiven him." 

Thorin stood, turning to storm from the room "Uncle, uncle wait, Kili and I, we have a plan--" 

"I have no need for any more of your schemes nephew." Thorin growled.

"Don't you want Bilbo back?"

Thorin stopped and turned back to Fili "It seems it doesn't matter what I want." 

Fili leaned forward "Listen to me uncle, please. The whole reason this has happened is because the two of you wouldn't talk. It bred fear and doubt in you both. What would you do to get him back?"

Thorin sighed and sat back down "Anything."

Fili smiled "Go after him uncle, go after him and show him that. Prove to him that you love him."

"Why did the two of you wait so long to tell me? Would it not have been easier if he wasn't on the other side of the Mountains?" 

"Uncle, by the time you get to the Shire, he'll have given birth. What better way to win his heart again, than to see you with your child?"

Fili had a point, Thorin would give him that. He wondered what the child would look like. Would he have Bilbo's curls, his blond hair? Or would he take after Thorin, with the dark hair and blue eyes of the line of Durin? Would he have a son, or a daughter? 

"I assume you will be accompanying me?" he asked Fili, who nodded quickly. "I ought to keep you here; it would do you good to learn how to rule. But I'm not that cruel. I'll talk with Balin; he'll make a good Steward. We leave as soon as we're ready." 

He would journey back to the Shire, and he wouldn't leave until Bilbo and their child were by his side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Fili, I certainly wouldn't want to tell Thorin I'd been lying to him.


	8. Chapter 8

By the time Kili and Bilbo crossed into The Shire, Bilbo couldn't ride by himself. They had been given Elven horses by Elrond, ones that would kneel on command so Kili and Bilbo could mount them. The horses could travel faster and longer than the ponies, cutting the time it would have taken to reach the Shire by almost half. 

Kili had stopped them just inside the borders of The Shire, unloading everything from Bilbo's horse but Bilbo himself and packing it all on his before climbing up behind Bilbo, wrapping an arm around his chest. "You've almost fallen off three times now, and don't even think of blaming it on riding a horse and not a pony." 

Bilbo grumbled but kept quiet, setting back against Kili. He wouldn't admit it, but he was glad Kili had gotten behind him. He could barely balance on the horse, and his back was hurting him something fierce. With Kili behind him, he could lean back against him, taking some of the pressure off his back. 

They rode for a few more hours before Bilbo spoke "Take the road to Tuckborough."

"But Bag End is in Hobbiton." 

Bilbo sighed "If you want me to have a Hobbit healer, our best chance will be with the Tooks. They're not as...strict as the Hobbits in Hobbiton. They'll still not like that I'm not married, but they won't turn us away." 

Kili nodded "Tuckborough it is." 

It didn't take long before they were in Tuckborough, and Bilbo flushed and refused to meet anyone's eyes when he heard the whisperings of the Hobbit's they passed. He wouldn't be surprised if Grandma Took knew he was coming before they actually got to Took Hall. He heard Kili growl behind him, and knew he was giving some of the less polite Hobbits who weren't even being subtle in their gossip, that patent Durin glare he and Thorin had in common. "Kili, don't."

"I won't let them spread lies about you." He could hear perfectly well what some of the Hobbits were saying about Bilbo. 

"Hobbit's will gossip no matter what, there's nothing you can do about it." 

Kili grumbled and urged the horse along, but soon Bilbo was pulling them to a stop in front of a sprawling smial. Kili slid off, tapping the horse on the side for her to kneel. He was about to lift Bilbo from the saddle when the round red door opened and an ancient--not that Kili would ever say that aloud--hobbit lass fairly ran out. 

"My dear Bilbo, we'd almost given you up for dead!" 

Kili sat Bilbo on his feet and stepped back and the hobbit hugged Bilbo as tightly as she could. She pulled back and looked him up and down "My dear, I do hope that's not why you left with those dwarves," she looked up at Kili "and why you've come back with one. Are you going to introduce us?"

Bilbo flushed "Granny, this is Kili; and Kili, this is my grandmother, head of the Took clan, and that's why we came here granny, I need to speak with you."

She tutted "Well, what are you doing just standing there then?" She shooed them inside, setting Bilbo down in a plush armchair and motioning for Kili to sit wherever. "Now then, is this lovely lad here the father?"

Bilbo went red, opening his mouth to deny, but she hushed him, looking at Kili pointedly. 

Kili could feel his face heating "Uh, no ma’am that would be my uncle." 

She crossed her arms and glared at Kili "And where is this uncle of yours?"

Bilbo leaned over as far as he could--which wasn't far at all--and laid a hand on her arm "Granny please, don't lay any blame at Kili's feet and let me explain." 

She huffed, but sat down "Very well then child, explain." 

 

Far on the other side of the Shire, a few days ride from its borders, Dis, daughter of Thrain, made preparations to leave Ered Luin. She was only leading a small caravan as she wasn't planning on staying with them for long. Letters from her Fili were tucked inside her tunic. She would make for the Shire, and there she would stay, for she had sons to see to, and a brother whose neck she was going to wring. 

 

If Fili thought the journey to Erebor was rough, it had nothing on the pace Thorin had them going now. The only breaks they had were when they stopped for the night, and Fili was sure that the only reason they stopped at all was because of the uproar they'd started when Thorin mentioned riding through the night. It would still take them nearly a month to reach the Shire; there was nothing Thorin could do about that. 

The entire company had wanted to go with them when Fili had told them about Bilbo. In the end it was Dwalin, Bofur, and Ori who went. And hadn't that been a sight, shy Ori coming up to Thorin, books in hand, stuttering that he'd read about Hobbit pregnancies, even had a few books on them, if Thorin was interested in knowing. 

Thorin had declared that Ori was to go with them in order to teach them what he knew. He had clapped Ori on the shoulder, making the scribe squeak and turn red. Fili had nearly passed out from containing his laughter. 

But Thorin had taken Ori's advice to heart; he had taken the two books from him and spent his evenings reading them. They didn't quite apply to him and Bilbo, there was only a chapter a piece on male pregnancies, but Thorin read the entire things anyways, after all, all he knew about pregnancies were what he saw when Dis was pregnant. But these books made it sound much easier. 

He was ashamed that he wouldn't be there to see the things these books talked about. To see their child grow. But maybe, once they were all in Erebor again, they could talk about other children. The books made it sound like it fertility wasn't a problem for Hobbits after all. 

"Uncle?" 

Thorin looked up at Fili "What is it?"

"May I sit?" Thorin nodded, Fili had been distant with him since they left Erebor. Thorin was sure the boy thought he was mad at him. 

"I want to apologize," he started once he'd made himself comfortable next to Thorin. 

"There is no need for you to apologize Fili."

"But..." 

"I know how you and your brother feel about him. I don't blame you for helping him when he asked." 

Fili sighed and looked down "I didn't like lying to you, it felt wrong." 

Thorin clapped him on the shoulder "You're a good lad Fili." 

When Fili didn't get up and return to his bedroll like Thorin expected he raised an eyebrow "Was there something else?"

Fili bit his lip "Did you always want children?"

"What brought that on?" 

Fili shrugged "I was wondering, Mama said once that we were the only children you needed." 

Thorin sighed "You and Kili brought joy into my life, never doubt that I love you. I never thought about children because the option was never there for me." Now it was, and Thorin found that he wanted it more than anything. "Does that answer your question?"

Fili nodded and got up, but paused when Thorin grabbed his wrist "I meant what I said before Fili, you and Kili will always be my sons, no matter what other children I may have." 

Fili smiled "I know Uncle." 

Thorin sighed, and tore his gaze from Fili to look at the mountains looming ahead. They would enter the Misty Mountains tomorrow. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't find anything about Bilbo's grandmother, so I don't know if she was alive at the time, so pretend that she's a stubborn old lady who refuses to die. 
> 
> Also, if you think Thorin isn't to be messed with, wait till you meet Dis. 
> 
> I was gonna have Thorin rage some but he's been thinking and knows it won't get him anywhere.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to apologize for not updating recently. I've been having a shitty few weeks. I've been diagnosed with several medical problems and then my laptop crashed! But I got my laptop back today and it's working (for now) and I've been writing on this since I got it back.

They were three days into the mountains when they came across the aftermath of a battle. The stinking corpses of three goblins lay spread across the path, their black blood staining the earth and fouling the freshly fallen snow.

“Uncle, do you think…?” Fili started, jumping down from his pony, nudging one of the corpses with his boot.

“Did Kili mention where they were attacked?”

Fili shook his head and made to remount his pony when his foot caught on something beneath the snow. He bent down and pulled it up, frowning when he recognized it. This was Kili’s tunic, Fili had laced it up for him the morning he and Bilbo had left, avoiding Kili’s wandering hands and mouth as he straightened his clothes.

“Fili?”

Fili turned to Thorin, holding up the bloodstained cloth. He knew Kili had been injured, knew it had been bad enough to warrant Lord Elrond’s skills, and he also knew that Kili was alright, was in the Shire by now. But seeing it was different, seeing it made it real.

Thorin clasped his shoulder “Fili, he’s fine, he wouldn’t lie to you about something like that.” Not anymore at least. Thorin knew that as a young dwarfling, Kili had tried to keep any injury he could from Fili, in an attempt at independence.

Fili ducked his head, “I know, I just worry.”

“Come, I would have you at your brother’s side before the month is out.”

Fili nodded and mounted his pony, nudging it forward, Kili’s bloodied tunic stuffed into his saddlebag.

 

After almost two weeks on the back of their ponies, the much reduced Company of Thorin Oakenshield would be lying if they said the sight of Rivendell didn’t bring them some relief. Their ponies had been led away and they were led to a set of rooms by Elrond himself.

“The rooms are much appreciated, but we do not plan on lingering here.” Thorin said, reining in his automatic response to spurn any and all help offered by Elves.

“Yes, but your men will appreciate the break and we have much to discuss King Under the Mountain.”

Thorin could hear the warning in his voice, it seemed Bilbo had gained the loyalty of the Lord of Rivendell as well. He wasn’t surprised, Bilbo had the oddest ability to make everyone love him, Elves, Dwarves, and Humans alike.

“Then let us talk.”

Elrond led him to a secluded balcony overlooking the valley. “You have much to atone for Thorin Oakenshield, but that is not my concern right now. I fear Bilbo may not survive this pregnancy.”

Thorin gripped the railing, knuckled turning white “How is that possible. Kili’s letter led us to believe…”

Elrond looked down at him sadly “Without proper Dwarven care, he’ll not make it. I tried to convince him to stay here but he refused. I believe he had not told young Kili of his plight.”

Was he doomed to lose everyone he loved? Thorin shuddered before looking up at Elrond “We will leave at first light then, I will not have him die if I can prevent it.”

“It will take a week via the Great East Road to reach the Shire. You may be too late.”

“What would you have me do then? Stay here till I hear word of his passing? No. I will not abandon him, not again.”

Elrond smiled and bowed his head slightly “You’re ponies and supplies will be waiting for you in the morning.”

“Thank you.”

 

 

Esmeralda Took--a cousin of some degree sent by his grandmother to be his midwife--shook her head and sighed, sitting down on the bed next to Bilbo. “I’m sorry Bilbo, I don’t know what to do.”

“Because it’s Dwarven.”

She nodded and patted his hand “I don’t know anything about dwarf pregnancies, how they progress, when labor should start. What Kili has told me is helpful, but it’s not enough.” She frowned “You should have stayed in Rivendell.”

Bilbo shook his head, he knew what Lord Elrond had told him, knew the dangers of going back to the Shire. But he had his reasons. He wanted his child born here, and if the worse came, he wanted to die here. 

Esmeralda rolled her eyes “You are a stubborn fool Bilbo Baggins.”

Bilbo grinned “Or a Took.”

She laughed “Same thing.” She leaned against his shoulder “What will you tell Kili, he won’t be happy.”

“I don’t know, I had told him he might have to cut the babe out if no one here would help, but to tell him that no one _can_ help, well, he’s as stubborn as his uncle and likely won’t accept it.”

“Where is he by the way?”

Bilbo smiled “I sent him out some hours ago, he was going to wear a hole in my floor with his pacing.”

The slam of the front door had Esmeralda jumping up—while Bilbo pushed himself up slowly—but Kili all but ran into Bilbo’s bedroom, panting and eyes wide.

“Kili? What’s wrong?”

“Mother’s here!”

Bilbo stared at Kili in shock “Dis? What would Dis be doing here?”

Kili leaned against the wall “She said Fili had been writing her, but that’s not the point, Uncle, she can help you!”

“Are you sure?” Esmeralda asked “I won’t let just anyone look after him, even if she is your mother.”

Kili nodded frantically “She’s helped with several births in Ered Luin, and she birthed me with only Uncle Thorin’s help.”

But Bilbo wasn’t listening anymore, he was watching Dis come up behind him. There was no mistaking who she was, Bilbo thought as she moved Kili out of the way to step into his bedroom. She looked every inch Thorin’s sister. From the way she carried herself and the clothes she wore, to the long black hair—braided a bit more extensively than her brother—and her cool blue eyes. She could almost be Thorin’s twin bot for her face. Where Thorin had a coarse black beard, Dis was smooth faced but for some dark whiskers down her jaw. Her face was soft and open where Thorin’s was hard and closed. She looked like a mother.

“So this is the remarkable creature who captured my brother’s heart.” She said, coming around to sit in the chair beside the bed, smiled at him.

Bilbo blushed and looked down “I wouldn’t say that.”

“But I would, and so do my sons. My brother may be a mighty warrior but when it comes to matters of the heart, I fear he has taken one too many hits to the head.” She smirked and looked down at his distended stomach “But I’m not here to talk about Thorin’s stupidity. I’m here to make sure you and your child make it through the coming weeks alive and healthy.”

“Can you?”

Dis took his hand and squeezed it “You’re early by almost a month, I have personal experience when it comes to that.” At Bilbo’s confusion she went on “Kili was almost two months early, I had no one but Thorin, my husband was dead and there was no healer at the time. Thorin delivered him under my instruction.” She winked at Bilbo and glanced at her son “and you can see he survived mostly intact.”

Bilbo snickered when Kili frowned, trying to figure out the implied insult, glaring fiercely at his mother once he did. “Kili has told me much about you, and all of it more than good. I trust you with this.”

“I’m glad.”

 

Miles away, atop an Elvish bed much too high off the ground, Thorin stared at the ceiling. They would leave before daylight, and Thorin would see Bilbo again, but part of his traitorous mind whispered to him _what if it’s only to watch him die?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had Durincest feels, I'm sorry (I'm not) 
> 
> Thorin angsts so well, I can't help it!


	10. Chapter 10

For the first time since he left Erebor, Bilbo was truly able to relax. Dis had taken control of Bag End like she’d lived here her whole life, ordering Kili and Esmeralda around, cleaning, cooking and gathering supplies. Normally Bilbo would protest the complete takeover of his house, but now he considered it a blessing, he couldn’t even get out of the bed without Dis or Kili to help, he had no energy, not to mention his balance was so off that he feared he would topple over every time he stood up. With a sigh, he rubbed a hand over his stomach “Running me ragged before you’re even born, you’re certainly your father’s child.” As if in response, the child kicked, making him wince and chuckle “That’s enough of that now, you’ll be out here soon enough.”

A knock on the wall made him look up, seeing Dis and Kili standing in the doorway. Dis had her arms crossed and was glaring at Kili, who had his head down and wouldn’t meet Bilbo’s eyes.

“Dis, is something wrong?”

Dis pushed Kili farther into the room “There are dwarves in the Shire, from Erebor. My son would like to tell you why.”

Bilbo frowned “Kili?”

Kili shuffled and whined “Fili and I had a plan, we were gonna get you and uncle back together, so when we left Rivendell I sent a letter to Fili telling him to inform uncle.”

“Thorin knows.”

Kili nodded, and looked up at Bilbo, eyes wide “We just wanted the both of you to be happy, and I knew you weren’t and Fili knew uncle wasn’t. He was making plans to win you back when we left.”

Bilbo sighed “Kili, did you ever consider that things between me and Thorin might be beyond repair?”

Kili shook his head “I know it’s not.” At Bilbo’s frown he explained “People don’t think I’m very smart, so they don’t pay much attention to me, but I pay attention to them. The only problem between you and uncle is that you never talked with each other.”

“There’s more isn’t there?”  
Kili looked down again “I thought that if you saw him with your child you’d realize how much he loves you.”

Bilbo sighed “Oh Kili.”

“Are you mad at me?”

Bilbo shook his head “No, of course I’m not, you were only doing what you thought was right.”

Dis cleared her throat, drawing their attention to her “We still have a problem, Thorin will be here soon, he won’t be happy if I bar him entrance.”

Bilbo looked at her “Let him in, he came all this way after all. And well, Kili might have a point about the two of us.”

Dis nodded “Kili stay with him, I’m going to go talk to my brother.”

Kili and Bilbo watched her leave and Kili turned to Bilbo “She’s going to kill him.”

Bilbo looked at him “What makes you say that?”

“She never wanted us to go with him, Thorin swore to her that we wouldn’t be hurt. Not only did we almost die, he almost started a war, fell into gold fever, and well, the way he treated you. She’ll tear him apart.”

 

 

Dis was indeed furious with her brother. She stood at the front gate as she watched Thorin, Fili, Ori, Dwalin and Bofur rode up the path, her arms crossed and glaring harshly at her brother’s form. She saw him frown and lean toward Fili, probably asking him why she was even here. Once he was within earshot, she called out “Thorin Oakenshield, get down off that pony now. We are going to have words.”

Thorin grimaced but did as she said “Sister…”

“Don’t sister me Thorin, I’m not speaking as your sister right now.” She looked at Fili, “Fili, your brother’s inside with Bilbo, I’m sure he’d love to see you.”

Fili nodded and slid from his pony, motioning for the others to do the same “If any of you upset him, I’ll have your hides.” She added “Ori, make sure they behave will you.” She smiled at him when he nodded, she’d always been fond of him, and he had a good head on his shoulders.

She waited until they were inside before turning back to Thorin.

“Dis, I—“

“Don’t Thorin. You reclaimed Erebor, and I’m glad, but you nearly got my sons killed! Did you think they wouldn’t tell me? Kili was nearly gutted! He said Fili was almost beheaded!” She stopped and pressed her hand over her eyes, willing the tears back. “There is nothing more dangerous than a King with gold fever, you knew you were vulnerable to it and you still insisted on finding that damned stone, if it hadn’t been for Bilbo…”

“I would have gotten us all killed, I nearly did anyway. You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know my sins?  I’ll never be able to forgive myself—“

“Neither will I. Fili and Kili have forgiven you, so has Bilbo, despite having the most reasons not to. But I never will. I may be your sister, but I’m their mother first and you nearly took that from me.”

Thorin bowed his head, shoulder slumping “I understand.” He looked up “How…how is Bilbo?”

She sighed “He’s weak and looks sickly, but the babe is healthy as far as I can tell.”

Thorin swallowed around the fear “Will he survive?”

“He should, unless there are complications.”

He nodded, relief evident on his face “Can I see him?”

Dis paused, part of her wanted to deny Thorin, but it wasn’t what Bilbo wanted “Yes.”

 

 

Bilbo laughed when Kili threw himself at Fili, knocking the two of them—and Bofur and Ori—over onto the floor. He could hear Bofur grumbling as he pulled himself out from under them, reaching out to help Ori up as well.

“Kili please,” he laughed “You have a perfectly nice bedroom to make use of.”

Kili grinned as his climbed off Fili, helping his brother up “Yell if you need us. Please don’t need us.” He said before dragging Fili down the hall.

Bilbo shook his head with a smile “Well are you two just going to stand there, I’d stand and greet you but as you can see, I can’t.”

Bofur grinned and came over, bending down and wrapping him in a hug “Ah it’s good to see ya lad!” he winked “Though ye’ve grown a bit.”

Bilbo slapped his arm “Very funny Bofur, now come here Ori, I’d like a hug from you as well, although I’m surprised your brothers let you come.”

Ori hugged his quickly and drew back, sitting on the edge of the bed “Thorin had me come because I had a book on Hobbit pregnancies.”

“Really? I didn’t know one existed.”

Ori nodded and opened his mouth to say more when Dis poked her head through “Bilbo, Thorin wants to see you.”

Bilbo swallowed and gripped the side of his bed “Let him in.”

She nodded and backed away, and the door swung open, revealing Thorin. He stepped through cautiously, and stared at Bilbo like he’d never seen him before.

“Bofur, Ori, would you leave us alone please?” Bilbo asked, never taking his eyes off Thorin.

“Are ya sure?” Bofur asked, glancing between Thorin and Bilbo.

Bilbo patted his hand, still not looking away “I’m sure.” He heard them get up and saw them pass Thorin and Dis “Dis, you too please.”

She frowned “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Please, this is something we need to do alone.”

She sighed but nodded, pushing Thorin the rest of the way into the room before leaving and shutting the door behind her.

Bilbo motioned at the chair “You may as well sit down, I’m sure your tired from the trip.”

Thorin nodded and sat down, still staring at Bilbo.

“Well, are you just going to stare at me all day?”

Thorin blinked and glanced between Bilbo’s face and stomach “Had it not been for Fili and Kili, were you ever going to tell me?”

Bilbo sighed, so this was how it was going to be then “Probably not. But then, I don’t know what I might have done.”

Thorin nodded “I wouldn’t have blamed you, if you hadn’t. I barely deserved the crown, I deserve fatherhood even less.”

“Do you truly think so little of yourself now?” Bilbo asked sharply. “You deserve the crown more than anyone else does, you didn’t choose to fall into gold fever, nor did you choose anything that happened after.”

“You truly think that? After everything I’ve done to you.”

“Yes, of course I do—“he grimaced and laid a hand on his stomach.

“Bilbo? Should I get Dis?” Thorin made to stand up.

Bilbo shook his head “No, no, it’s fine, he just kicked is all.”

Thorin leaned toward Bilbo, hand outstretched “May I?”

Bilbo glanced at him with surprise, but called himself a fool a moment later. Why wouldn’t Thorin want to touch? “Of course.”

Bilbo watched as Thorin laid one big hand gently over his stomach—and how odd was that, to see Thorin do something gently, even their lovemaking had been rough—and waited a moment, ah yes, there, he winced again as the babe kicked again.

The look on Thorin’s face was worth the discomfort though. He was staring at his hand in surprise and delight, like he hadn’t actually expected the child to move but would pay all the gold in the world to be able to feel it again.

Oh how Bilbo wanted. He wanted this child out of him, he wanted to see Thorin with their son or daughter, he wanted _Thorin._ He wrapped his hand around Thorin’s and squeezed, causing him to look up at Bilbo. “Thorin, we need to talk.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our thickheaded lovers are finally reunited! And with only a few more chapters left, the moments you've all been waiting for are about to arrive!
> 
> And thank you for the well wishes, I really appreciated them :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Non-graphic birth, because the idea of a living person inside another's body like that creeps me out a little. And I know next to nothing about C-Sections.

 

Once Thorin had propped Bilbo back up—his infernal pillows weren’t doing their damn job he’d complained loudly to Dis once—and had settled back in his chair, the tension was visible in the very way he sat, as if Bilbo was about to throw him from the room that instant. Bilbo hated it, the wariness and suspicion between them, it was like the trust that had been there since that night on the Carrack had never even existed.

“Why did you come Thorin? You’re needed in Erebor, everyone knows that.”

Thorin sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Did Kili tell you about my intentions toward you? I know Fili told him.”

“He said you had been planning on winning me back, I’m assuming that’s why you gave the Consort’s room.”

Thorin nodded “The room was part of it yes, I had always planned on giving you the room, but after all that happened, I was prepared to do anything in my power to fix what we had.”

“What exactly did we have? Our courtship wasn’t normal by either of our standards after all.” Having fallen into bed with each other during their stay at Beorn’s, they had both agreed to forgo normal courting until after Smaug had been dealt with. Bilbo had been fine with it, he had been secure in his feelings for Thorin after all.

“Never doubt that I love you Bilbo, you are my âzyungel, my One. You think the gold fever took me as soon as we entered the mountain don’t you?” at Bilbo’s hesitant nod he went on “It didn’t, I went off by myself, you remember, but I wasn’t looking for the Arkenstone, not at first. I was searching for this.” He reached into the pack at his feet and drew out a cloth covered bundle, handing it to Bilbo “It had been my mother’s, and she gave it to me with the hopes I would give it to my love.”

With a shaky hand Bilbo unwrapped the bundle, it was a beautiful, delicate looking crown, made of shining mithril flowers, with gleaming jewels at their centers.

“My mother was much like you, she loved growing things for one, even had a balcony garden off their rooms. Father made this for her when they married. I was going to give it to you that night, but when I returned to the vaults a haze settled over my mind.” Thorin set back and watched Bilbo as he ran his fingers over the delicate crown.

“You were going to give this to me?” Bilbo murmured and he could feel tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Thorin had told him about his mother, the Princess Ris, who had been Thrain’s heart and soul, had died three years after the disastrous battle for Moria, heartbroken over the loss of both her husband and youngest son.  The love Thorin had for his mother had been obvious to Bilbo, as was the grief he still carried over her death.

“There is nothing in this world that means more to me than you.”

Bilbo looked up at him “And what about our child?” Thorin’s love meant nothing to him if it didn’t include their child.

Thorin smiled “My hôfukel, my joy of all joys. I never thought I would have children Bilbo, I had Fili and Kili, I didn’t think I wanted children of my own, but you have given me the greatest gift I could possibly imagine.”

Bilbo swallowed and reached out, grasping Thorin’s hand “Oh Thorin, we’ve made a right mess of things haven’t we? I left because I was scared. I was worried you’d fall back into that madness again, that even if you didn’t, what you felt wasn’t what I felt, after all, why would a Dwarf King love a plain old Hobbit like me?” He chuckled humorlessly “Kili was right, we should have just talked to each other.” He sighed and squeezed Thorin’s hand “I love you.”

Thorin leaned forward and pressed his forehead against Bilbo’s “Will you return to Erebor with me and marry me then? Once the babe is born?”

Bilbo laughed and dropped Thorin’s hand, bringing it up to entangle itself in Thorin’s hair “You’ll have to marry me here I’m afraid. The Baggins and Tooks will throw a collective fit if you don’t. Though I suppose we can have a second ceremony in Erebor.”

“It doesn’t matter to me. You will have to be coronated in Erebor, but that can wait.”

“Well then—“he started but gasped, letting loose of Thorin to grab at his stomach as hot pain shot through him. “Get Dis! Thorin, get Dis now!”

“Bilbo what—“

“Baby!” he whimpered as another wave went through him “It’s the baby.”

Thorin stood up, and threw the door open and yelled for Dis once, knowing she would be near enough to hear him, before coming back to Bilbo’s side, grasping one of his hands. “Bilbo…”

“Bilbo, what’s wrong?” Dis asked as she hurried into the room, Fili and Kili—still mussed, Bilbo noted through a haze of pain—at her heels.

“Baby.” He gasped. “Coming.”

Dis nodded and reached under the bed, pulling out a small box of supplies she had stored under there some days ago. “Bilbo do you want Thorin in here?”

He nodded frantically and clutched tighter at Thorin’s hand.

Dis smiled at them briefly, uncorking a small bottle and pressing it to Bilbo’s lips “Drink this, it’ll numb you before I start cutting.”

It didn’t take long for the potion to take effect, and Thorin could tell by the way Bilbo gradually relaxed into his pillows that he could no longer feel the pain coursing through his body. He sat next to him and watched as Dis worked, ordering Fili and Kili to bring her water and clean linens as she positioned Bilbo on the bed, situating his clothes to expose his belly but preserve his modesty.

The knife she pulled from the box had Thorin looking away. It looked as sharp as Orcrist, made for slicing through flesh, and for a second he wasn’t so sure he could watch his sister carve into Bilbo with it.

“Th’rn?” Bilbo’s drugged mutter made him look down “Ok?”

Thorin brushed Bilbo’s hair—he’d need to braid it soon—out of his face with a small smile “Everything’s fine.”

“Bilbo?” Dis called “I’m going to start cutting now, alright?”

Bilbo nodded and Thorin made sure not to look at his sister as she worked, not wanting to see her cut into Bilbo. He watched Bilbo’s face instead, the small furrows on his brow as he frowned, a sign that he felt something that Dis was doing.

“Oh Mahal!” Dis’ exclamation had Thorin turning toward her just as she lifted one red wriggling child up, handing it over to Fili to wash.

“Dis?” he barked “Is something wrong?”

She looked up at Thorin, surprise on her face “There’s two!” was all she said before turning her attention back to Bilbo, and soon she was lifting _another child_ out of him.

Thorin sat back, hand still wrapped around Bilbo’s, in shock. Twins. It was virtually unheard of in Dwarven society, siblings as close in age as Fili and Kili was rare enough.

“Thorin?” Bilbo muttered, pulling at his hand weakly “What’s…going on?”

Thorin turned back to Bilbo and kissed his forehead “All is well.” There was a scream, shortly followed by another and he glanced at his nephews, seeing that each held a wriggling bundle “We have healthy children.”

Bilbo frowned “Children?”

Thorin hushed him “Rest Bilbo, while Dis patches you up. I’ll tell you everything when you wake.”

Bilbo watched Thorin for a moment before giving in, his eyes sliding closed as stress and the potion worked together to send him into unconsciousness.

Thorin looked up at Dis, watching as she swiftly stitched Bilbo up, cleaning up spilled blood before wrapping the wound up. She looked up at Thorin with a smile “Let me wash, and we’ll see to your children.”

Thorin nodded and gently laid Bilbo’s hand on the bed before standing and going to Fili and Kili’s sides. He gently lifted one of the children—Mahal, he had _children_ —out of Fili’s arms and cradled it in his own. They were small babes, a sign of their mixed heritage or the fact there were two, Thorin didn’t know. He gently pushed back the cloth, exposing small blond curls and round Dwarven ears.

“Kili tells me you have two strong sons brother.” Dis said as she came back into the room, taking the other babe from Kili. “You have been greatly blessed.”

Thorin said nothing, couldn’t say anything, as he stared down at his son. Dis came to stand in front of him and held the other babe out to him, switching the children around with the ease of a mother with experience.

His other son was just a perfect. With black curls and pointed ears, Thorin could already tell he would take after Bilbo in looks.

“What are you going to name them?” Kili asked, looking excited at the prospect of not one but two new cousins.

Thorin smiled at his nephew’s enthusiasm “That will be up to Bilbo, he carried them, not I.”

Dis laughed at her son’s pout and ushered them out of the room, “Leave your uncles be and tell our friends the good news.” She turned back to Thorin, “Let’s get the babes settled, I’ll go get them some milk, and you can wait for Bilbo to wake.”

 

 

By the time Dis had come up with two bottles and had bought some milk from Hobbiton’s midwife—though she’d never tell Thorin she had to threaten the woman in order to get it, it seemed Hobbits could be very nasty should they chose—and they had settled one babe in a nest on the bed while Thorin fed the other, the potion was wearing off, and Bilbo was slowly waking. 

“Thorin?” Bilbo blinked his eyes open. He was propped up again, tucked into his bed and if it weren’t for the pain in his stomach he’d have thought it had been a dream. He turned, seeing Thorin at his side and gasped, for Thorin was holding a child, their child.

Thorin looked up at him with a smile “You are an extraordinary creature Bilbo Baggins. You’ve given me not one, but two sons.” He held out the boy, and Bilbo could see the black hair and pointed ears, and settled him into Bilbo’s arms.

“Two? But…how?” he asked, staring down at his son in awe. He was a little big for a Hobbit babe, but smaller than what Bilbo had been expecting.

“They were wrapped around each other apparently, Dis thinks that’s why Elrond didn’t see.” He reached down to the end of the bed and picked up another bundle, and held it out for Bilbo to see.

This child was blond, with round dwarf ears, but was no bigger than the other. Oh, they were perfect. “What are their names?” Bilbo asked, reaching out with his free hand a run his fingers over his son’s cheek.

“I wanted you to have a say, so they haven’t been named yet.” Thorin said, moving from the chair to the bed, so they were closer to each other and the babes they held.

Bilbo shuddered and looked down at the child he held, taking in his very hobbit like features “Frodo, I think.” He looked up at Thorin “It’s a very hobbitish name.”

Thorin smiled—and he didn’t think he’d ever smiled so much in his long life “Frodo it is.” The switched babes and he cuddled Frodo to his chest.

Bilbo looked down, running a finger over blond curls and big round ears “A Dwarvish name for this one, I believe.” He glanced at Thorin, remembering whispered stories told about mischievous little brothers. “Thorin, could we—I mean, what of Frerin?”

Thorin blinked in surprise “Yes.” He laughed a little “He’d puff up like a dragon if he knew I’d named my son after him.”

“Frerin and Frodo.” Bilbo snickered “Why do I get the feeling we’ve created the new Fili and Kili.”

Thorin chuckled “They’ll be little terrors of course, with all of Erebor at their disposal.”

Bilbo grinned and reached up, wrapping his hand around Thorin’s neck and mindful of Frodo, pulled him down for a kiss, although they both were smiled too much for a proper one. Frerin wriggled and protested the cramped conditions until they pulled back from each other, and Thorin reached out for his bottle and handed it to Bilbo.

With a happy sigh Bilbo settled back against the bed, Frerin in hand and Thorin and Frodo beside him, he could hear the sounds of their family and friends within Bag End, and the busy sounds of Hobbiton outside his window. The rest of the world would have to wait though, for Bilbo had no intentions of sharing his newfound family with anyone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!
> 
> Only one more chapter to go on this installment!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a wedding in the Shire...and in Erebor.

They were wed in the Shire after the last frost. It was a small ceremony, but like all Hobbit weddings, Bilbo knew the party after would last through the night. His family—both Baggins and Took—came; although Bilbo refused to let any of them stand with him. He had heard the rumors that had spread about him on both sides of the family, although Grandmother had put a stop to the worst ones. Why would he want the Hobbit’s who treated him so horribly stand beside him as he married Thorin? Instead Fili and Kili would stand on either side of him to walk him down the aisle and would stand behind him. Thorin of course, had Dis and Dwalin behind him.

Bilbo fluttered around anxiously as Kili finished weaving his crown of flowers together. It was a typical wedding wreath, with primroses, blue violets, forget-me-nots, and plumerias, but Kili had also put Cherry Blossoms as well, and when Bilbo asked about it he shrugged.

“They fit you. Uncle Thorin has a different flower in his crown too.” But he refused to tell Bilbo what it was.

He had honestly forgotten about the flowers when he and Thorin had decided to marry here instead of Erebor, and by the time he remembered, between Frerin, Frodo and wedding preparations, there wasn’t any time at all to talk to Thorin about it. He wondered what Thorin would look like with the flowers in his hair, and knew if little Primula got ahold of him, he’d have flowers in his braids as well.

“You need to calm down uncle, everything’s fine.” Fili said as he slipped into the room, Frerin propped up on his hip. He and Thorin had barely let Frerin and Frodo out of their sight since they’d arrived in Hobbiton. It had taken nearly a week to pry the twins from Thorin—not that Bilbo had tried, Thorin deserved all the time he could get with their sons—and Fili was just as attached to his little cousins as Kili was, and Bilbo despaired over the mischief he knew they would get the two into when he was older.

Bilbo sat down with a huff and Fili handed Frerin over, wincing as Frerin clung tightly to his braids. He smiled softly when he saw that someone—probably Dis—had put a small braid in Frerin’s curls and had secured sprig of Baby’s Breath in it.

“Shouldn’t you be with Thorin, and where is Frodo?” The boys had been assigned an uncle apiece by their mother, with strict orders not to leave them.

Fili grimaced “Frodo’s with Ori, he’s reading a book of fairytales to him, and mother’s giving Uncle some advice I really didn’t need to hear.”

Bilbo laughed, he could only imagine what Dis was lecturing her brother about. Dis had become a valuable friend to Bilbo since her arrival all those months ago, and Bilbo had named her Godmother of the twins, a concept, he’d learned, that the dwarves didn’t know about. Dwalin had been named godfather after Bilbo had seen the way he acted around Dis and had been told—quite awkwardly—by Fili and Kili that Dwalin had been courting their mother for some time.

As if she’d been summoned, Dis poked her head in the door “Come Bilbo, I’ve already sent Thorin on his way.”

Bilbo stood and handed Frerin back to Fili, smoothing down his gold waistcoat. Kili stood and grinned, placing the crown of flowers on his head.

“You look very handsome Bilbo; my brother won’t know what hit him when he sees you.”

Bilbo blushed and hugged her tightly before slipping around her, Fili and Kili behind him. It was a bit of a walk to the place he and Thorin had chosen to marry, in a field back behind Bag End, under an apple tree that Bilbo himself had planted years ago with his mother. He had waited—despite the nagging of his fellow Hobbits—until the tree had completely bloomed, and well, not even the bravest of Hobbit would argue when Bilbo had a glowering Dwarf King standing behind him.

He reached up and adjusted the flower crown as the tree, and most of Hobbiton came into sight. And oh, Thorin looked…. He was dressed simply, in a rich blue shirt and black breeches, he was even barefoot. He had the same flowers in his crown as Bilbo did, but where Kili had placed cherry blossoms in Bilbo’s crown, Fili had woven beautiful red Gladiolus flowers in Thorin’s. It made him wonder who had taught the boys flower language.

Dis patted his shoulder and went to join Thorin, Fili and Kili coming up beside him with bright grins. Fili still held Frerin, and it seemed Kili had stolen Frodo back from Ori. “Are you ready uncle?” Kili asked.

Bilbo smiled at him “More than.”

Hobbit ceremonies were very simple, as the oldest Hobbit, Grandma Took presided over it, clasping his and Thorin’s hands together, binding them together with a long length of red cord. Stepping back, she looked at Bilbo, “Bilbo Baggins, do you take this Dwarf as your husband, willing, for as long as you both shall live?”

Bilbo looked up at Thorin and smiled “Yes, yes I do.” His smile turned into a grin as Thorin squeezed his hands.

Grandma Took chuckled at them and looked up at Thorin “King Thorin Oakenshield, do you take this Hobbit as your husband, willing, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.” Thorin rumbled, smiling down at his Hobbit. He glanced up, seeing Fili and Kili standing behind him, holding Frerin and Frodo. Part of him still couldn’t believe, not only did he have Bilbo, but his Hobbit had given him sons.

“Then I now pronounce you bound to each other in body and soul. May Yavanna bless you and yours!”

The crowd behind them clapped and whooped in excitement—weddings and parties were always a source of excitement in the Shire, no matter the grudges or bad blood between people—and Thorin tugged Bilbo to him by their bound hands, leaning down and kissing him soundly. He worked one of his hands out of the cord, careful that it didn’t come undone, and cupped the back of Bilbo’s head, threading his fingers through his curls and pulling him closer. When Thorin pulled back he rested his forehead on Bilbo’s “Thank you.”

Bilbo smiled up at him “For what?”

“Everything.”

 

Hobbit parties were known for lasting long into the night, but Bilbo and Thorin retired early, Dis assuring them that she’d keep not only her nephews occupied, but her sons and their friends as well. Bilbo closed his front door and locked it, leaning back against it to look up at Thorin. They hadn’t been together since Lake-Town, nearly a year ago now, and it wasn’t an understatement to say that Bilbo was nervous.

“Âzyungâl?”

Bilbo knew that word. It was one of the few Khuzdul words Thorin had taught him, most of which Bilbo had heard Thorin say to or about him and their sons. He stepped forward and Thorin’s arms wrapped around him, pulling him tight against his chest. “I’m fine, just…nervous I suppose.”

Thorin pressed a kiss to his temple “Why? We don’t have to do anything you don’t wish to.”

“Oh I don’t know, I’m just being silly.” He looked up and smiled “Take me to bed Thorin, I’ve missed you.”

“Very well then.” With a smirk Thorin leaned down and lifted Bilbo up, making him squeak in surprise and wrap his legs around Thorin’s waist.

“Thorin!”

He chucked as he walked through Bag End towards their bedroom “Just doing as you asked.”

Bilbo spluttered and wrapped his hands in Thorin’s hair “You…you dwarf!”

Thorin chuckled and kneeled on the bed, leaning forward slowly until Bilbo rested on the bed. Leaning closer still, he rested his forehead against Bilbo’s, running his hands up and down his sides.  “I never thought I would see you like this again.” He said, pressing kisses up and down the length of Bilbo’s throat.

“What, under you?” Bilbo grinned “unless I’m forgetting something, you’ve yet to see me under you at all.”

Thorin chuckled against Bilbo’s throat, that was true, the few times they had come together like this, Bilbo had ridden Thorin—which, Thorin thought, was a glorious sight indeed—out of consideration to Bilbo’s inexperience and Thorin’s fear of hurting him. “No, my ghivasha, I didn’t think I’d ever see you trusting me like this again.”

Bilbo smiled up at him and slid his hands up underneath Thorin’s shirt, pushing it up until Thorin caught on and tugged it over his head, throwing it to the floor. “But I do. Neither of us can change what happened, but that doesn’t mean we have to dwell on it. Now, my husband, shall you undress me or are we to sit here all night?”

Thorin knew it wasn’t that easy but Bilbo was here in front of him, calling him husband and Thorin knew he had better things to think on. He leaned in and kissed Bilbo, his fingers sliding down to deftly pluck open small buttons until he was pushing the shirt from Bilbo’s shoulders, and had smooth pale skin under his hands. He gently pushed Bilbo down and bend his head to press kisses along his chest, taking in the noises his hobbit made as Thorin’s beard brushed against sensitive skin. He continued down Bilbo’s chest and belly, stopping only to run his fingers over long thin scar and pink stretch marks that marred Bilbo’s skin, kissing them gently.

His fingers dipped down, running lightly over the laces of Bilbo’s pant and yes, there, Thorin heard Bilbo’s breath hitch as he pressed down against his hardness. “Shall I continue undressing you husband?” he asked, rubbing his hand against Bilbo with just enough pressure to tease.

Bilbo shuddered and moaned softly “If…if you don’t—ah!—you will sorely regret it!”

With a soft laugh, Thorin deftly loosened the laces and tugged them and Bilbo’s smallclothes off, leaving them to fall to the floor. He ran his arms up Bilbo’s legs, pulling a giggle from him as he ruffled the hair on his shins. He pressed a kiss to one pale thigh and was about to make his way farther up when he felt hands in his hair, tugging gently.

“You’re still dressed” Bilbo said, letting go of his handfuls of hair when Thorin started to sit up. He scooted up the bed to lean back against the pillows and looked pointedly at Thorin’s trousers. He watched as Thorin slid off the edge of the bed and stood, quickly shedding his pants and underclothes. He crawled back up the bed and stretched out beside Bilbo.

“Are you satisfied, my hobbit?”

Bilbo smiled “Very.” He sat up and straddled one of Thorin’s legs, content for the moment to just look. Thorin was a sight to behold. Anyone could tell by looking at him that Thorin was a warrior. Where Bilbo was soft and a little pudgy, Thorin was nothing but muscle, built up from years of fighting and smithing alike. He ran his hands over Thorin’s chest, carding his fingers through wiry black hair and over a multitude of scars. Some of them Bilbo knew, he’d ran fingers and lips over them before and had even coaxed a few tales of them from Thorin. But there were more that were new. And Bilbo knew exactly where they had come from.

Three thick, jagged marks trailed from Thorin’s shoulder and down his right breast, scars lefts from the sharp claws of Azog’s warg. Arrow holes littered his thighs and sides, and Bilbo knew there were more to be found on his back. The worst though, was the great burst of scar on his abdomen, were Azog’s mace had dealt a crushing, near fatal blow. Running his fingers over the white tissue, Bilbo remembered how he screamed as he watched Thorin go down.

“Bilbo?”

Bilbo looked up and gave Thorin a small smile “Just…remembering.”

Thorin sat up and drew him into a hug, smoothing his hands down Bilbo’s back. “I had forgotten that you hadn’t seen them.”

Bilbo sighed and ran his hands down Thorin’s chest again, “I had as well.” He leaned back and gave Thorin a smile, ducking in for a kiss that quickly deepened. Bilbo moaned into the kiss and wrapped a hand around Thorin’s cock, causing Thorin to break the kiss with a curse.

“Oil.” Thorin said, hands drifting down to Bilbo’s ass, “We need oil.”

Bilbo leaned to the side and with his free hand plucked a bottle from the bedside table, pressing it to Thorin’s chest until he took it from him, uncorking it and pouring the oil across his fingers.

Thorin prepared him quickly but thoroughly, and it wasn’t long until he pulled his fingers free and was sliding in, grasping at Bilbo’s back and trying not to thrust up as Bilbo adjusted.

“Move.’ Bilbo gasped, burying his hands in Thorin’s hair and his face in his neck, sucking a mark in the skin there, biting down when Thorin thrust up into him.

As much as Thorin wanted to draw their love making out, to make it last, it had been far too long for the both of them and soon Thorin was wrapping his hand around Bilbo’s cock, stroking him and whispering in his ear.

“Come for me my ghivashel, my âzyungâl.”

With a shudder and a cry of Thorin’s name, Bilbo came, his body clenching around Thorin, triggering his own release. Bilbo slumped, panting against Thorin’s chest, letting him gently lift him off his cock and lay him on the bed. He felt Thorin leave the bed and cracked his eyes open—and when did he shut them?—watching at Thorin came back in the room with a damp washcloth. He sighed as Thorin cleaned them up and once Thorin was back in the bed and had pulled the unsoiled quilt over them, he curled up close to him, head resting on his chest. Thorin slipped an arm around him and pulled him closer. “Are you even going to teach me what those words mean?”

Thorin looked down at him with a smile “Khuzdul is a secret language, and there are very few non-dwarves that know it.”

“Oh.” Well, that made sense, and Bilbo wasn’t ever going to be a dwarf, married to their King or not.

Thorin chuckled “You should let me finish. Very few non-dwarves know Khuzdul, but as Consort, you’ll be required to learn it, as not all of Erebor’s citizens speak the Common tongue.”

Bilbo looked up at Thorin “So you’ll teach me?”

Thorin nodded “Balin will officially tutor you, but not everything can be learned through lessons.” He smiled down at Bilbo “I suppose we can start now.”

“With those words you have a habit of calling me.”

“Âzyungâl, means lover, ghivasha, treasure, and ghivashel is treasure of all treasure. You are all of these and more to me.”

“Thorin…”

“I call our sons my hôfukel, my joy of all joys, and my mizimiths, my jewels that are young.” He snorted “As you can tell, we dwarves compare most everything to gems.”

Bilbo reached up and kissed Thorin’s cheek, and twined their fingers together “Those are wonderful Thorin, I wish I had a word or two for you.”

Thorin turned on his side and drew Bilbo close to him “What would you call me? In Westron I mean.”

Bilbo looked at Thorin and thought. There were many things he might call Thorin, things he’d heard his parents say, but they didn’t fit. “I would…I would call you my heart.”

“Then you would call me kurdu, for heart, or kurdel, for heart of all hearts.”

“Kurdel, I like that.” Bilbo smiled.

“I’m glad, but sleep now, we have busy days ahead of us.”

Wrapped in Thorin’s warmth, it didn’t take long for Bilbo to fall asleep, and by the time the celebrations behind Bag-End were through, and the first of the partygoers were stumbling home, both Thorin and Bilbo were fast asleep, tangled up in both blankets and each other.

 

 

It didn’t take as long as Bilbo expected for Erebor to be rebuilt to its former glory. The only differences were that The Arkenstone was buried deep within the mountain, and Thorin ruled with a gentle hand compared to the iron fist of Thror’s rule.  Thorin had also appointed a new Council, refusing to cater to those who had fed his grandfather’s gold lust. He had given the positions to those in the Company who wanted them, and it the end it was Balin, Dwalin, Dori, Gloin, Fili and Kili—out of duty and not choice as Kili liked to complain—as well as Dis and Bilbo who sat in the council seats.

Bilbo had also expected some grumbling and wariness over the fact that Thorin’s chosen Consort was a Hobbit, and that their children were not fully dwarf. But instead Bilbo and their children were met with joy. Stories had been spread of Bilbo’s help in reclaiming Erebor—greatly expanded upon if you asked him—and those who had lived under Thorin’s rule in the Blue Mountains could see the change in their previously aloof and seemingly cold King.

Thorin had also kept his promise to Fili. It had taken nearly two months after the reconstruction was finished to have the old law rewritten, and most of the delay was from the bickering and disputing of the old council, trying to take out petty revenge on Thorin over the loss of their positions. But it had been done, and know Bilbo was trying to contain a pacing Kili as they waited for Balin to call him to the Throne Room.

“Kili, please just sit down, pacing will not make time move any faster.” Bilbo sighed, tugged on Kili’s sleeve once again.

Kili shook his head, attempting to run a hand through his hair only to stop when his fingers touched the cool metal of his circlet. “Are you sure I look alright?” he asked again, stopping in front of the mirror and looking himself up and down. He wore his usual colors of brown and blue, though they were of much finer quality and studded with fine metals and his belt—a gift from Thorin—was decorated with sapphires and silver. His mother had managed to tame his hair, weaving braids marking him as a heir of Durin and a hero, as well as the traditional wedding braids into it before placing his newly made circlet of mithril—only the best for his brother, Fili had said when he’d given it to him—on his head, with strict orders not to mess with it.

Bilbo rolled his eyes “You look fine, and you know as well as I do that Fili wouldn’t care what you looked like.”

Kili turned and smiled at his gratefully, finally sitting down only for the door to open and Dis to walk in.

“Bilbo, time to go, Thorin’s waiting for you. Kili and I will be there shortly.” She said as she went to Kili, squeezing his shoulder comfortingly.

Bilbo nodded and hugged Kili carefully before leaving. It amazed his sometimes how quickly it took him to learn his way around Erebor. The mountain was massive, and with the Royal Hall near the center, it was quite a walk from there to the Throne Room, full of twists, turns and a few too many stairs for Bilbo’s liking.

But soon he was slipping into the over crowed room, as it seemed every dwarf in the city was there to witness the Princes marriage, as well an envoy from Dale, and Mirkwood and Rivendell much to Thorin’s dislike. Coming up beside Thorin, he smiled up at his husband and took the hand he offered, squeezing softly.

“How is Kili?” Thorin asked quietly enough that Fili—looking as pale and nervous as his brother—couldn’t hear.

“In about the same shape as Fili by the looks of it. He and Dis will be out in a few minutes.” He leaned against Thorin’s side, sighing when he noticed the stares they were getting. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to all the attention, not to mention dwarves bowing left and right to him when he went to the markets.

But soon the crowd’s attention was drawn away from them and to the open doors, where Kili and Dis now stood. Dis walked him up to where Fili stood, pale from nerves but his eyes never leaving Kili’s, and placed Kili’s hand in his with a smile before taking her place off to the side next to Dwalin.

Thorin stepped down, drawing a long chain of mithril out of his coat and draped it over their hands “Fili son of Dis, do you swear that this Dwarf before you is your One, that you will love none other both here and in Mahal’s Halls?

“I swear.” Fili said, looking as serious as Bilbo had ever seen the young dwarf.

Thorin wrapped the chain around their hands once “And Kili son of Dis, do you swear that this Dwarf before you is your One, and that you will love none other both here and in Mahal’s Halls?”

Kili grinned “I swear.”

Thorin wrapped the chain around them once more. “Do you swear to pledge your loyalty to none other but each other, to protect and cherish each other above all else in this world?”

“We swear.”

Thorin tied the chain off and let the ends go, “Then I, Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain, proclaim you to be wed.”

He stepped back to Bilbo’s side and the both grinned as Kili all but threw himself on Fili, kissing him long and hard and ignoring the crowd behind them that roared and stomped their approval. Once the crowd had died down and Fili and Kili had separated, working their hands out of the chain and placing it in a chest by their sides, they stepped up to Thorin and turned to the crowd.

Thorin laid a hand on their shoulders “Dwarves of Erebor! I present to you the Crown Prince Fili and Prince Consort Kili!”

The crowd went off again, seemingly louder than before and Bilbo winced, he was sure he would suffer some hearing loss before the night was over. He stood back as Thorin sent Fili and Kili off into the crowd and came back to him, slipping an arm around him. He leaned into Thorin and looked up “I do believe I might be deaf before the night’s end.”

Thorin laughed, leading them out of the throne room and into the hall were the feast was being held “We dwarves can be quite loud when we want to.”

Bilbo huffed “Yes, I was fortunate enough to find that out when you lot traipsed through Bag End.”

Thorin laughed and dropped a kiss on the top of his head, making the crown Thorin had given him slip.

Bilbo reached up and slipped it off his head, after six months in Erebor he still wasn’t used to wearing it. “How long are we required to stay at the feast?”

“Only until Fili and Kili leave.”

He eyed the princes where they sat nearly on top of each other “So not long then.”

“No, not long.” Thorin sat them down on the truly massive chair that served as the King’s seat “Are you in a particular hurry?”

Bilbo shook his head “Frerin and Frodo won’t sleep forever you know. I feel bad leaving them with the nannies so much.”

“Then we will leave as soon as possible.”

Bilbo smiled and tucked into his plate of food, watching his family. So much had changed in two and a half years. He had helped reclaim a mountain from a dragon, was married to and in love with a Dwarf King, and had two precious sons. He was no longer the soft, respectable Hobbit from the Shire. He was the happiest he had been since his parents died.

“Thorin?”

“Yes, âzyungâl?”

“Are you happy?”

Thorin sat back and smiled at him “I am the happiest I have ever been Bilbo. I have my home, my family. You have given me treasures greater than a thousand Arkenstones.”

Thorin turned back to his meal and Bilbo smiled, it seemed the worst was truly behind them now.  

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait! I briefly had a job that took most of my free time up. But now that I've quit I finally have time to finish this story up and start on the others in the series.


End file.
